USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Some things about Coventry-Benton, New Hampshire (town history) > Part 15
USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Benton > Some things about Coventry-Benton, New Hampshire (town history) > Part 15
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William Coolidge, and when two schools were maintained David Marston became a kind of assistant to Squire Cool- idge. James J. Page was for many years a notable school- master, but his schools were for the most part at High Street, on the Meadows, or in other towns. George W. Cogswell was for a number of years one of masters in the north part of the town. He was noted for his proficiency in arithmetic, for the excellence of his penmanship, and for "keeping order." This last qualification was one of the great essentials in the early days. Birch withes, and heavy rock maple rulers, with physical courage and strength to wield them, were regarded among the things of first import- ance. George W. Cogswell, James J. Page and Nathan B. Davis were adepts in the use of these implements of educa- tion. In later years famous Benton teachers of the second generation were Caleb Wells, George W. Mann, Darius K. Davis, Amos K. Torsey and James Page. Some of these had gained their inspiration from Moses H. Bixby, of War- ren, who as a young man had taught for two or three winters in number four. Mr. Bixby was a man of marked ability, and later, was for many years a Baptist missionary to Burmah, and still later, was for many years, until his death in 1903, pastor of one of the largest Baptist churches in Providence, R. I. Other well remembered teachers of half a century or so ago were George W. Fisher, of North Haverhill, Luther C. Morse, of Center Haverhill, Eugene B. Gale, of North Haverhill. There were also some famous school ma'ams. Among these were Elvira Clark, of Landaff, Emma F. Orcutt, of Newbury, Vt., Mary Carleton, of Haverhill, Sarah R. Howe, of Benton, Susan D. Morse, of Haverhill, and Lizzie R. Page of Benton, many of whose pupils are still living and who have vivid recollections of the
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ways and means devised to induce them to really accomplish something. Miss Orcutt found many of her pupils unable, except by dint of great effort to master the multiplication table. She finally induced the whole school to sing it to the tune of "Yankee Doodle," and the thing was done before the boys and girls realized that they had been learning the de- tested table. The visits of the superintending and pruden- tial school committee were great occasions. They were ex- pected as a matter of course to make speeches. Some of these latter are well remembered. George W. Mann never failed to quote from Pope :
"""Tis education that forms the common mind, Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined."
Amos Wilson was at one time prudential school committee in district No. 5. On the first day of the term he called be- fore the forenoon recess to consult the teacher about fuel, when he was invited to address the school. Amos was not a speechmaker, but he put on a bold front and made this brief address : "Children, I'm glad to see you have im- proved much." This was certainly complimentary to the teacher, who had been at her post a little over one hour. James Page never failed to exhort the pupils to so apply themselves that they should become "stars of the first magnitude."
There were no graduation exercises at the close of the school year, but then there was that famous last day of school, when the superintending committee paid his final visit, when the fathers and mothers were present, when there were the show recitations, when the boys "spoke pieces" and the girls read compositions, and when everybody was relieved to know that for three months at least it was over. The evening spelling schools in winter brought
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together the scholars of the various districts in exciting rivalry for the honor of being the most accomplished speller in town. Winthrop C. Whitcher bore with becoming modesty this honor for several years, having probably "spelled down" more schools than any other of his time, but after many triumphs went down in ignominious defeat on the little word "gnaw," which he spelled "knaw." George W. Mann, Caleb Wells and Amos G. Torsey were among the champions of their day, though this would hardly be suspected by those who have seen specimens of their orthography in later years.
As has been previously noted, to "keep school" success- fully, first of all it was necessary to "keep order," and various tortures were invented by various teachers to accomplish this end. "Lickings" amounted to little more than tests of endurance, but in this particular they had their uses. To shed tears when the schoolmaster "licked" you was to lose caste. To take a sound "licking" without a whimper was to be a hero. "Lickings" were nothing, but to bend over and hold down a nail in the floor, or to hold out a book at arms length, or to be sent over to sit with the homliest girl in school, or, worst of all, to be sent to Squire William Whitcher's house to have that rigid old puritan just talk to you, some of these were genuine punishments.
The success of the schools in towns like Coventry-Benton was due in no small degree to the excellence of the text books. There were not many of these, but among them were some of the best. It is doubtful if there was ever compressed into small text book compass so many of the essentials of a first-class English education as were found in Webster's spelling book, supplemented by Adams' and Colburn's arithmetic, Morse's geography and the American
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Preceptor.
Benton has now, like other New Hampshire towns, the town system of schools. The separate district system has been abolished, the prudential committee has given place to the town board of education, there is a more or less uniform course of study, and a more pretentious system, but meas- ured by results, it may fairly be questioned whether there has been during the last half century, any phenomenal advance.
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CHAPTER IX.
THE MILITIA AND SOLDIERS.
Coventry was not settled to any considerable extent until after the War of the Revolution, so that no soldiers enlisted for service in that war from the town. The proprietors, however, with such inhabitants as were in the town hired two men to represent them for a time as soldiers in the war, as appears from a petition presented to the General Court in February, 1786, as follows :
"To the Honorable Court of the State of New Hampshire now sitting at Portsmouth. Humbly shew the inhabitants of Coventry in said state, that when called on they hired one Jacob Whittier and one Edward Clark to answer as soldiers for said town in the Continental army during the war and gave them a generous bounty. That said town are so far remote from the seat of government and not organized with town officers, never made a regular return of them, and that there is an extent now against them for delinquency, where- fore your petitioners pray that they may be credited for said Whittier and Clark and have an order to discharge said ex- tent, and your petitioners as in duty shall ever pray, etc.
MOSES Dow, in behalf of said town."
Accompanying this petition was a certificate of Edward Clark to the effect that he served during the war in Col. Hazen's regiment for the town of Coventry and had received full satisfaction of Samuel Atkinson in behalf of the town for his hire or bounty ; also a certified copy of a discharge
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signed by George Washington which stated that Edward Clark had been honored with a badge of merit for four years service. The town was allowed £60 for the service of Edward Clark. It does not appear that any action was taken in the case of Jacob Whittier.
Among those who rendered the patriot cause service during the war for independence, and who later became residents of the town were, Obadiah Eastman, the most prominent of the early settlers, Josiah Flanders, the father of Israel and James Flanders, and Joseph Young, who made his home with his daughter Polly after she married Amos Whitcher. The grave of Obadiah Eastman is in the cemetery at High Street, that of Josiah Flanders in the East cemetery, and that of Joseph Young in the West cemetery in the north part of the town.
In the war of 1812, Joseph Edmonds, fifer, and Moses Welsh and Jacob Whitcher, privates, served for six months, from July 27, 1812, to Jan. 27, 1813, at Stewartstown in a detatched company under command of Ephraim Mahurin. The company was ordered there because of danger of preda- tory excursions of the enemy from Canada, and because contraband trade was rife on the frontier, by which the government was defrauded of revenue and the enemy furnished with supplies. This company was followed Apr. 6, 1813, by another in command of Edward Freeman, which served till Oct. 6, the same year. Of this latter company Peter Eastman, of Coventry, was lieutenant. These appear to be the only Coventry men who saw service in the second war with Great Britian. Stephen C. Sherman, who came to Benton from Lisbon later, rendered service at Lake Champlain, and in his latter years was granted a pension.
In the war with Mexico Daniel Batchelder, of Coventry,
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was captain of Co. H, Ninth United States infantry. This regiment was under command of Truman B. Ransom, of Vermont, and was a part of the brigade of Gen. Franklin Pierce. Capt. Batchelder was born in Corinth, Vt., May 10, 1803. He was appointed adjutant of the Thirteenth regiment Aug. 13, 1833, and Captain of the Sixth Company of Infantry March 27, 1839. He represented the town of Coventry in the legislature in 1833, '34, '35, '36, '87, '38 and '39. Subsequently he removed to Haverhill and was representative from that town in 1845. March 6, 1847, he was appointed a Captain in the Ninth, or New England Regiment, United States Infantry, having recruited a large part of a company in Haverhill and other nearby towns. Before the regiment sailed from Newport, R. I., he was de- tailed in recruiting service at Fort Adams, where he remained until he resigned in March, 1848. Samuel A. Mann, son of Major Samuel Mann, had enlisted in the regular army previous to the Mexican war, and served with Taylor's army during the entire war. He was in several of the most im- portant battles and was detailed for a term as bearer of dispatches to General Taylor.
Though the town furnished but few soldiers in the three wars named, military titles were common in the decades between 1830 and 1850, though they were won on the blood- less arenas of the training ground and muster field. There were Captains William Whitcher, Enos Wells, Winthrop G. Torsey, Amos Whitcher, Gilbert P. Wright, and several others whose military fame has been forgotten, to say nothing of a lengthy list of lieutenants, ensigns, sergeants and cor- porals. The town also boasted one field officer-a colonel. James Norris was noted chiefly for his extreme diffidence, a quality which led to extreme awkwardness, but he became
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corporal and went up through the various grades of promo- tion until he became a full fledged colonel. He only saw one general muster day in this capacity, and ignominiously . failed. Once a colonel, however, always a colonel, and he was ever after until his death, Dec. 25, 1890, at the age of 77, Colonel James Norris of the New Hampshire State Militia.
During the War of the Rebellion there were no enlist- ments from Benton till the summer of 1862, when under the call of the President for more men the town was called upon to fill its quota. There were 89 persons in town liable to military duty, and an effort was made to secure enlistments. Ira Whitcher was appointed enlisting agent, and as a result of his efforts, he enlisted Leonard Moody Aug. 6, who was mustered into Co. A, 9th regt. as private, died of disease at Washington Feb. 16, 1863 ; Daniel M. Howe, Aug. 15, mustered into Co. G, 11th regt. as private Sept. 2, was severely wounded at Spottsylvania Court House May 12, 1864, and was discharged for disability Apr. 2, 1865 ; Charles W. H. Howe, Aug. 15, mustered into Co. G, 11th regt. Sept 2, as private, died of disease at Washington Dec. 31, 1862 ; David Bowman, Aug. 16, mustered into Co. G, 11th regt. Sept. 2, as private, died of disease at Mt. Sterling, Ky., Apr. 17, 1863 ; Williard W. Coburn, Aug. 18, mus- tered into Co. G, 11th regt. as private, severely wounded at Fredericksburg Dec. 13, 1862, discharged for disability Sept. 20, 1863 ; Isaac H. Tyler, Aug. 21, mustered into Co. G, 11th regt. Sept. 2, as sergeant, discharged June 6, 1865 as private. Mr. Whitcher enlisted several others at this time, but they were credited to the quota of other towns, Landaff, Bath and Haverhill. Kimball Davis, son of Jere- miah B. Davis, enlisted July 18, 1863, in the 1st New
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Hampshire light battery, and was mustered in under the name of William T. Davis. He was later credited to the quota of Benton, and was mustered out with his battery June 9, 1865. George Tirrell, son of B. H. Tirrell, enlisted in a Vermont regiment in 1861, was discharged for disability and died a little later at his home in Benton. Jeremiah B. Davis, Jr., enlisted in the 1st cavalry, but was credited to Haverhill. The town took action in September 1862 to encourage further enlistments, but there was no favorable result, and with the exception of Kimball Davis and Jere- miah B. Davis, Jr., above named, there were no volunteers from the town after August 1862.
At a special town meeting Sept. 2, 1862, Ira Whitcher moderator, it was voted to pay the sum of $100 bounty to each volunteer enlisted since August 14 and to such as may enlist before September 15 for three years or during the war ; also the sum of $50 to each volunteer for nine months when mustered into the service of the United States. Voted that the selectmen be authorized to hire money for this purpose on the credit of the town.
At a special town meeting Oct. 10, 1862, Ira Whitcher moderator, it was voted that the selectmen be authorized to hire money on the credit of the town for the relief of families of volunteers who may be in needy circumstances.
When the call for more men came in 1863 the quota of the town was not full and draft was ordered. A special town meeting was held Sept. 29, 1863, Ira Whitcher mod- erator. Voted to raise a committee of three to take the matter of draft into consideration and report at an adjourned meeting. Chose : Ira Whitcher, Caleb Wells and Chase Whitcher. Voted to submit the whole matter of meeting draft and devising best means of procuring substitutes to the
DANIEL M. HOWE.
PARDON W. ALLEN.
Both the above rendered honorable service in the War of the Rebellion.
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committee appointed, to report at an adjourned meeting Oct. 15. At the adjourned meeting Oct. 15 voted to leave the whole matter with the committee.
For the annual town meeting, March 19, 1864, the following appears in the record. "The committee that was chosen to provide for the relief of those drafted or conscripted into the service of the United States having reported verbally that they had procured on the credit of the town $300 and expended the same to relieve George E. Brown from the draft, on motion voted that the town approve of and pay for the same."
Another call for men was issued July 18, 1864. The town did not respond with volunteers, and the committee chosen the year previous proceeded to meet the draft that was ordered by the purchase of substitutes, under the authority of a special town meeting held Aug. 31, 1864, James J. Page moderator. The committee reported the existing condition of affairs with draft threatened. It was moved that the town offer bounties to enlisted men of $300 for one year, $500 for two years and $800 for three years. This motion was debated at length, and it appearing that even if it were adopted volunteers would not be forthcoming, the motion was withdrawn, and it was voted to submit the whole matter to the committee with authority to act for the town.
At the regular meeting for voting for presidential electors, Nov. 6, 1864, the committee submitted the following report :
"The undersigned, a committee chosen by the town to provide for filling quota under call of July 16, 1886, submit the following statement of facts. The quota was eight men. The provost marshal made a draft to fill the quota, with the addition of 100 per cent, making 16 men in all : Henry A.
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Glazier, James Page, James H. Keyser, Horace W. Gordon, Emery Marston, Philemon P. Oakes, Nathaniel Mulliken, George Wells, B Laderbush, Wesley B. Marston, Claudius Libertie, Chester C. Clough, Lafayette W. Flanders, Moses W. Howe, Francis Dwyer, and William T. Torsey. Henry A. Glazier and Lafayette W. Flanders were discharged because of disability, and Claudius Libertie on account of being a foreigner. We procured one volunteer at a cost of $700, and seven substitutes for whom we paid $5385, one each for the following named drafted men : George Wells, Nathaniel Mulliken, Emery Marston, Wesley B. Marston, Moses W. Howe, James H. Keyser and Chester C. Clough. These were mustered into service for three years. The whole sum paid out is $6085. The selectmen of the town have provided us with notes against the town signed by them in behalf of the town, for the following sums, all payable to individuals of the town or bearer on demand ; nine for five hundred dollars each, three for three hundred dollars each, three for two hundred dollars each, and one for eighty-five dollars, said notes having been endorsed by the payees and others of the town. We have been able to raise the money required on these notes now outstanding against the town. To meet this indebtedness we have placed in the hands of the selectmen demands due front the state to indi- viduals for whom substitutes were furnished and to the indi- viduals who volunteered as bounties to the amount of twenty- five hundred dollars.
(Signed) IRA WHITCHER, CALEB WELLS, CHASE WHITCHER.
It was voted to accept the report, and the selectmen be instructed to collect of the state the amount due for the
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bounties and appropriate the same in part payment of the notes before described, and that they be directed to hire money to meet the balance of all or any part of said notes as may be demanded by the bearers thereof.
It appears that the $2400 was subsequently collected of the state, and the selectman hired money on the credit of the town to pay these notes, though it would be a matter of extreme difficulty to find any law, under color of which the town could legally incur indebtedness, or raise money by taxation to hire substitutes for men drafted into the military service of the United States. The fact was that most of the drafted men were of themselves or their immediate friends unable to procure substitutes, and there was a common and unanimous feeling on the part of the voters of the town that no citizen should be forced into the army against his will. So the town in its corporate capacity assumed the burden, illegal though it was, and in time paid the debt. It may not have been the most exalted kind of patriotism, but there was this about it, the citizens of the town stood together for the personal protection of each other from a draft. It is to be doubted if any other town in the state purchased substitutes for drafted men and raised the purchase money by public taxation. This part of Benton's military history is at least unique. The substitutes were assigned to the Seventh Regi- ment, and all except two rendered honorable service. Dennis Hayes, substitute for Moses W. Howe, and John Adams, substitute for James H. Keyser, deserted. It should perhaps be said in behalf of these drafted men that no one of them has as yet applied for a pension. There was one Benton man who previous to the draft disabled himself by cutting off the thumb of his right hand in order to escape. Had he only waited he might have saved his thumb, and also spared
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himself the nickname of "Thumby" which clung to him through life.
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CHAPTER X.
THE CEMETERIES.
The earliest establishment of cemeteries in the town is that at "High Street," the two in the north part of the town being of later date. There was a small cemetery in the north part of the town in what is now a field at the top of the hill a few rods to the south of the present East cemetery, but all traces of it have been lost for many years. There is also a small cemetery on the Meadows on the A. L. Warren farm, but only a few of the graves are marked. The following are the inscriptions on the headstones.
Caleb S. Ford died January 6, 1848.
Elisha Ford died Feb. 14, 1849, in his 79th year.
Salome Ford, wife of Elisha Ford, died July 26, 1853, in her 83rd year.
HIGH STREET CEMETERY. The cemetery at "High Street" is in a very neglected condition. Many of the head- stones have fallen and are partly buried under decaying grass and leaves, while others are broken and the pieces so scattered that the inscriptions are indecipherable. The following were, however, found there in the autumn of 1904.
Mrs. Ruth, wife of Obadiah Eastman, Jr., died October 19, 1813, in the 33rd year of her age.
Bert L. Littlefield died April 10, 1861, ae. 26.
Judith, daughter of Timothy and Betsey Ayer, died Jan. 13, 1834, ae. 19 yrs. 7 mos.
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Elijah Gray died 1823, ae. 78 years.
Elijah Gray died Nov. 6, 1855, aged 83 years.
Alitha, wife of Elijah Gray, died Apr. 19, 1862, aged 82.
William D. McQuestion, son of Daniel and Betsey Patch, died January 14, 1829, aged 4 years, 2 mos.
Eunice G., daughter of Granville and Isabel Flanders, died Dec. 26, 1856, aged 17 years.
Susan G., daughter of Granville and Isabel Flanders, died Nov. 3, 1856, aged 12 years.
Mr. Stephen Batchelder died March 15, 1827, in the 22d year of his age.
Louisa J. Welch died Feb. 27, 1863, ae. 21 years.
Silas M. Welch died Feb. 23, 1863, ae. 38 years, 4 mos. Bartlett Welch died March 16, 1863, ae. 33 years, 4 mo. Nancy, wife of Silas M. Welch, died Apr. 28, 1877, ae. 55 years.
Franklin, son of Bartlett and Alice R. Welch, died Oct. 1, 1873, aged 19 years, 6 mos.
Alice R. wife of John L. Stevens, formerly wife of Bart- lett Welch, died Sept. 16, 1877, aged 44 years.
Effie, daughter of D. L. and L. M. Wright, died Mar. 26, 1872, ae. 6 mos., 23 days.
Hetty, wife of Curtis C. Swift, died March 18, 1836, ae. 20 yrs.
Lucinda, wife of Joseph Nudd, died Dec. 29, 1869, ae. 58 yrs.
Abijah Wright died Feb. 26, 1870, aged 91 years.
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Hannah, wife of Abijah Wright, died Apr. 18, 1852, ae. 74 years.
Josiah F. Jeffers died Sept 21, 1866, aged 55 years.
William Sampson, died June 16, 1845, aged 76 years.
Mary, wife of William Sampson, died December 14, 1861, aged 86.
Hugh Matthews died Sept. 23, 1838, aged 87 years.
John Jeffers died Sept. 5, 1859, ae. 77 years.
Lydia, wife of John Jeffers, died Dec. 8, 1831, aged 27 years.
Susan, wife of John Jeffers, died Apr. 27, 1833, ae. 30 years.
Polly, wife of John Jeffers, died Sept. 19, 1861, aged 76 years.
Samuel Jackson died Jan. 28, 1813, in his 70th year.
Obadiah Eastman, Esq., died Jan. 10, 1812, aged 64 years, 8 months.
Mehitabel, wife of Obadiah Eastman, died Dec 27, 1815, aged 68 years, 8 months.
[The above inscriptions are on a white marble monu- ment, which bears on its base the words 'Erected by Ira Whitcher in memory of one of the first settlers of Coventry."]
Moses Eastman died March 6, 1813, in his 31st year.
Eliza Boynton, wife of James Eastman, died Jan. 29, 1813, aged 35 years.
Ruth Welch, wife of Jonathan Welch, died Dec. 19, 1855, aged 66 years and 6 mos.
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There are in this cemetery scores of unmarked graves, or of graves where gravestones have been broken and destroyed.
Just over the Benton line there is a small cemetery at Warren Summit, in which the late Ira Whitcher erected a monument which bears the following inscriptions.
Chase Whitcher died Feb. 1836, ae. 82.
Hannah Morrill, his wife, died Oct. 31, 1826, ae. 68.
Chase Whitcher died Jan. 26, 1850, ae. 62.
Mary Green, his wife, died Dec. 14, 1863, ae. 77.
The first named Chase Whitcher was one of the first settlers of the town of Warren, and his sons William, Jacob, Chase and David were among the first settlers in the north part of Benton.
In this same Warren Summit cemetery is another monu- ment with these inscriptions.
James M. Harriman b. June 8, 1828-d. July 19, 1898.
Sarah J. Cady, his wife, b. May 18, 1845-d. Aug. 18, 1899.
EAST CEMETERY, NORTH BENTON. The two cemeteries in the north part of the town are both well kept and compare favorably in appearance with those in other rural sections of the state. Just why the lot where the first burials were made, and which has been previously mentioned as in a field to the south of the present East burying ground, was aban- doned does not appear, but it is likely that a new ground was secured when the present highway was built, and the old highway which ran by the abandoned cemetery was dis- continued some time in the thirties. The inscriptions on headstones and monuments in the present East cemetery situated on an elevation a little to the west of the meeting house are as follows :
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