USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Concord > The history of Concord : from its first grant in 1725, to the organization of the city government in 1853, with a history of the ancient Penacooks ; the whole interspersed with numerous interesting incidents and anecdotes, down to the present period, 1885 > Part 25
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MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY :
As good Will and Affection between Rulers and Ruled are the happy source of all well ordered Government, it gives us pleasure to observe the great Harmony and Unanimity that subsist between your Excellency and the People of this Province, while those of the Neighboring Colonies are daily seeking Redress, and still complaining of grievances and oppression. Notwithstanding the great Difficulties which have attended your Excellency ever since you came to the Chair of this Government, and the many disadvantages this Province in par- ticular has, and still labors under; yet, from the best Observations we have been able to make, we find no Colony on the Continent in which good Order, Peace, and good Government, have more prevailed than in this, or in which Officers of every kind have discharged the duties of their respective Offices with more Prudence, Moderation and Firmness.
Through your Excellency's great care and Wisdom, we find the unsettled Lands improving and settling with rapid progress, and that your Excellency is pleased to give every necessary encourage- ment to promote and facilitate the same, and that even by your Excellency's own Example .*
And if your Excellency's wise Administration should be continued, we make no doubt in a few Years of seeing this Province not unequal to those of its Neighbors, in numbers of People and Opulence.
Whatever Aspersions your Excellency's Character may have inju- riously met with in England, from prejudiced and designing Men, with regard to your Excellency's governing this Province, we are assured, and believe every disinterested person will join with us, that they are urged without any just foundation-and, were those Matters
* Gov. Wentworth had begun a plantation for himself, in the town of Wolfborough, on which he expended large sums. [ Belknap's Hist. of N. If., vol. i., p. 339, Dover ed., 1831.]
249
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND ANECDOTES.
represented in a True point of Light, we are fully satisfied that your Excellency would receive the Approbation of His Majesty, and the Applause of the People of this Province in general.
At a meeting of the said Inhabitants of Concord, on Thursday, the Ist day of April, A. D. 1773 -
Voted, That the foregoing Address be immediately presented to His Excellency John Wentworth, Esq., Captain General, Governor, and Commander-in-Chief in and over the said Province of New- Hampshire. Attest : TIMO. WALKER, Jr., Toun Clerk.
1774.
During the year 1774 the settlement of the long controversy between the proprietors of Bow and Rumford " was completed." Immediately thereupon, and even in anticipation of it, a petition was presented by Timothy Walker, Jr., "in behalf of himself and his associates," to the General Court of Massachusetts, setting forth the great expense they had been at, and losses incurred by the controversy with Bow, and praying that, as a remuneration, " a tract of land may be granted them on the Ammoscoggin river," in the Province of Maine. Through the politeness of Timothy Walker, Esq., of Rumford, Maine, youngest son of the late Charles Walker, Esq., and grandson of the Hon. Timothy Walker, of Concord, I have been furnished with a copy of the said petition, and the proceedings of the General Court in relation to it, with the names of the original grantees of the new township; also, a copy of the record of their early proceedings - all of which must be interesting to the descendants of the original settlers, both of Concord and of Rumford, in Maine .*
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND ANECDOTES RELATIVE TO THIS PERIOD.
SLAVES.
CONCORD, March 4, 1767.
Received of Andrew McMillan the sum of forty-seven pounds ten shillings, lawful money, in full consideration for my Negro Boy slave named Cæsar, aged about eleven years, which Negro Boy I have this day sold to said McMillan, and promise to warrant and defend the
* See Documents for Chapter VIII., No. 7.
250
PARISH OF CONCORD.
property of said Negro Boy to him, the said McMillan,* and his heirs or assigns forever, against the claims of any other person or persons whatsoever.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the day and date above mentioned.
Witness : Paul Burbeen, James Osgood.
BENJAMIN OSGOOD.Ť
Know all Men by these Presents,
That I, Patrick Gault, of Chester, in His Majesty's Province of New-Hampshire, in New-England, husbandman, for and in consider- ation of the sum of twenty pounds, lawful money, to me in hand befere the delivery hereof, well and truly paid by Andrew McMillan, of Concord, in the Province aforesaid, Esq., the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, have bargained and sold, and by these presents do bargain and sell unto him, the said Andrew McMillan, my Negro Garl, named Dinah, aged about eight years, to have and to hold the said Negro Garl Dinah, by these presents, to him, the said Andrew McMillan, his heirs, administrators and assigns ; and I, the said Pat- rick Gault, for myself, my heirs and administrators, shall and will warrant, and forever defend her, the said Negro Garl, unto him, the said Andrew McMillan, his heirs, administrators and assigns, against all the claims and demands of any person or persons whomsoever ; and have put her, the said Negro Garl, into his, the said Andrew McMillan's, possession, by delivering her unto him, the said McMil- lan, at the time of sealing hereof. In witness whereof I have here- unto set my hand and seal, this 24th day of May, and in the eighth year of Ilis Majesty's reign, A. D. one thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight.
In presents of us : § Hannah McMillan, Sam'l Noyes.
PATRICK X GAULT. mark. Ilis
BILLERICA, May 2, 1761.
Know all Men by these Presents, That I, Hannah Bowers, of Bil- lerica, widow, have sold unto Lot Colby, of Rumford, in the Province of New-Hampshire, a mulatto Negro Boy, named Salem,t and have received forty-five shillings sterling, in full consideration for the said boy, as witness my hand.
Test. : § Joseph Walker, Josiah Bowers.
HANNAH BOWERS.
* See Biographical Notice of Andrew McMillan, Esq.
t Benjamin Osgood was a brother of McMillan's wife.
# That slaves were bought and sold like cattle and horses, previous to the Revolution, appears from the following, taken from the Essex Journal, (Newburyport,) March 2, 1774 : "To be sold, A HEALTHY NEGRO GIRL, about twenty-three years old - born in this country. LIKEWISE, A SERVICEABLE MARE, which goes well in a carriage. Enquire of the Printers."
251
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND ANECDOTES.
Of the subsequent history of the "Negro Garl Dinah" but little is now known, except that on the removal of her master to Conway, in 1774, she was left, probably, in the family of Mrs. McMillan's mother, (" Mother Osgood,") and that she married and settled in the neighboring town of Canterbury, where she lived to an advanced age, familiarly known as " Old Dinah," where several families of her descendants now reside and are frequently seen in the streets of Concord selling baskets.
The "Boy Caesar" accompanied his master to Conway, but was roving and unsteady in his habits, and finally absented him- self from the family entirely. He married twice, and died in 1847 or 1848, in the ninety-second year of his age. His eldest daughter, Lois, is now living, in good health, in the family of Daniel Eastman, of Conway .*
Aaron Stevens, commonly called " crowner"- that is, Cor- oner Stevens - had a negro man who was the town " dog- whipper"- it being his office to scourge dogs out of the meeting-house on the Sabbath, for which he received a few pennies from such as were disposed to pay him. The faithful discharge of his office afforded fine amusement for the children during Sabbath hours.
Capt. John Roach, who lived in the old " Rogers house," east of the late Gov. Hill's residence, owned a negro woman. She had a child, who was taken care of and supported by the town.
Dea. Joseph Hall, senior, had a slave woman who had two children, one named Lois and the other John Brown. John was given to Dea. Jonathan Wilkins, who married a grand-daughter of Dea. Hall. John was non compos, and gave the deacon so much trouble that at last he threw him on the town for support. At one time John was put to hoeing potatoes alone ; but it was found he skipped over every other hill. Being asked what he did it for, said -" So as to keep up." He was once sent to turn out calves from the stall, but, not succeeding in unfastening their yokes, the deacon's hired man turned the calves out and yoked John up.
Of other slaves in Concord about this time, tradition has preserved some interesting reminiscences. Ephraim Farnum,
* Information from Dr. Chadbourne.
252
PARISH OF CONCORD.
grandfather of Moses H. Farnum, and living on the same spot, owned a black boy named Ccesar. Mr. Farnum had a pen for small pigs near his kitchen door. On looking into it early one morning, he discovered a bundle closely pinned together, which, on opening, he found contained an infant negro child. Pitying the little foundling, he took it from the pig-pen into his house, and took care of it. Some ten years afterwards a gentleman from Massachusetts called very privately on Mr. Farnum, inquired for the boy, and made a suitable compensation for the good care that had been taken of him. Cæsar was a favorite among the white boys of about his age. Capt. Samuel Herbert says he "used to think it quite a treat to go up and have a good play with Cæsar Farnum."
Abraham Bradley had a negro slave named Pompey -com- monly called "Pomp"- for whom he paid thirty bushels of corn. " Pomp" was quite a favorite in the family. He was the attendant and sort of life-guard of John Bradley in his boy- hood. In his last will Mr. Bradley gave Pomp to his grandson John, and ordered his executor " to take especial care that my said negro be not wronged by my aforesaid grandson in any ways ; and if he should wrong him, I give him power to do him justice." Mr. Bradley also gave Pomp " the use and improve- ment of one half acre of land," near his dwelling-house, during his natural life .*
Col. Benjamin Rolfe owned a negro who, in 1772, when the inventory of Col. Rolfe's property was taken, was valued at £55, lawful money.
William Coffin, the grandfather of Samuel Coffin, Esq., owned a negro woman named "Lucy." "Sampson," a negro belonging to Archelaus Moore, of Canterbury, wanted her for his wife; and there was an agreement that Sampson should work one year for Mr. Coffin to pay for her. A man's wages at that time were about forty dollars a year, or the price of a yoke of oxen. Sampson was a famous fiddler, and for many years afforded fine fun for frolicsome fellows in Concord with his fiddle on election days.
Rev. Timothy Walker had three slaves : a man called Prince, * See biography of John Bradley, and Abraham Bradley's will.
253
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND ANECDOTES.
and two women - Luce and Violet. Prince was good natured, much attached to his master, and faithful in taking care of horses and cattle. On the adoption of the State Constitution he had his freedom, and went to Andover, where he lived with Dr. Thomas Kittredge. There he married. At one time he came back to Concord dressed in a red coat, which he displayed with much pride, saying-" I rides in the troop, I do." Prince became very infirm, and was thrown on the town of Woburn for support till he died. Violet married in Dunbarton. Luce died in Concord.
Lieut. Richard Herbert had a slave named Nancy, who was said to have been born in Boston about 1766, and when nine days old was given to a man resident in Bow, who, wishing to remove from the vicinity, brought her to Rumford, and, in 1768, sold her to Lieut. Herbert for about five dollars. As Nancy is very well remembered by many now living, and was much esteemed, the following notice of her will be interesting :
When bought by Mr. Herbert " she was about eighteen months old, and grew up with the children of the family - attended school a little - learned to read and to recite the catechism. She used to say she 'was treated just the same as the other children, but she supposed she did not expect so much ;' and, also, ' that she was never conscious of a wish that she had been born white.' The adoption of the State Constitution, in 1783, was regarded as abolishing slavery within the State. She was about fifteen years of age, and often spoke of the fears she felt lest the Constitution should be adopted. She had been told that she came from Boston, and had a notion that she must return there, and she was constantly inquiring about the city and the road thither. One day she was engaged in washing dishes, when some one came in and told her she was free! She burst into tears, exclaiming, 'What will become of me!' She supposed she must start for Boston. The family gathered round, and she said she never was so rejoiced as when it was decided that she should remain in her old and only home. An arrangement was immediately effected as to compensation, which continued till the death of Mrs. Herbert, senior, who made provision for Nancy in her son's family through life.
·
254
PARISH OF CONCORD.
" In 1816 she became a member of the church under Dr. McFarland's ministry, and honored her profession. She was faithful, affectionate and cheerful. The anecdotes and incidents of early times, stored in her retentive memory, were a source of infinite pleasure to the children, cach of whom had been in turn her favorite. She read much, usually the Bible - was sensible and dignified in manners - none knew but to esteem her. Both Charles and Jonathan Herbert left her bequests by will. In her charities she felt a particular interest in the Education Society, in the cause of Missions, and in all efforts for the elevation of her race. The last two years of her life she was unable to walk much, or attend church often; but death came suddenly and without terror. She died of paralysis, after an illness of two days, October 9, 1845, aged seventy-nine. The following epitaph, written by the late Benjamin Gleason, Esq., of Charles- town, Massachusetts, was received too late for inscription on her tomb-stone :
"' At first unknown - then sold a slave ; Then free, and loved from early youth ; In Christian hope, ripe for the grave : This tablet but records her worth.'"
BEAR STORIES.
Soon after moving to his place, west of Long Pond, Mr. Reuben Abbot heard one of his hogs squeal, which was running at large in the woods. Presuming that a bear had caught it, he hastily seized his gun and went in pursuit. He came in sight of the bear, which was devouring the hog, in the field east of Mr. Jerry Abbot's house. He leveled his gun at the bear, but it missed fire three times. The bear then turned and ran towards Mr. Abbot, who, to escape, sprung upon a small trec, which the bear could'nt climb. In relating the circumstance, Mr. Abbot used to say " that the old paw of the bear just touched his leather breeches." The flint of his gun being out of order, Mr. Abbot hallooed for his brother James, who came, and the bear was killed.
Oliver Hoit was the first settler, about 1772, on Horse Hill. It was then a wilderness, and the bears and wolves were very
255
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND ANECDOTES.
troublesome - devouring his sheep when they were but a small distance from his house. He used to kill bears, some by shoot- ing and others by trapping. The trap was formed of heavy logs in the shape of the figure 4- the upper log falling when the bear entered to take the bait. One trap was set at a dis- tance of nearly three miles from his house. On a warm day in May he rode his old mare to the trap, and found a large bear in it, dead. How to get it home he was at a loss, but soon con- trived a way which proved successful. He took off his vest, and buttoned it tight round the old mare's head to blind her eyes, to prevent her being frightened at the bear ; next, he took the throat-latch from the bridle, and buckled it tight round the old mare's tail ; then cut a hole through the bear's nose, and put in a withe and fastened the other end to the strap on the mare's tail -mounting, he rode home, dragging the bear after him, much amused at the success of his contrivance .*
Mr. Zebediah Farnum, who lived where Samuel Ames now lives, proposed to Ephraim, son of Deacon Farnum, to go over Rattle-snake Hill, to the east side of Long Pond, and see if they could shoot a bear. They crossed the brook at the outlet of the pond, and in a few moments their dogs began to bark. When they came to them, they found the dogs had treed a large bear. Zebediah shot at it. The bear fell to the ground, and he sup- posed it was dead ; but when the dogs came, and began to smell of the bear, the creature began to kick, and snarl, and fight the dogs. Zebediah, who was very resolute and courageous, thinking that the dogs would get beaten, sprung astride the bear, and took it by the cars, while Ephraim thrust the butt of his gun into the bear's mouth. In this position the bear was held until it was exhausted ; when Zeb. let go of one ear, and, taking his jack- knife from his pocket, and opening it with his teeth, cut the bear's throat, which bled to death in a few moments.
At another time Zebediah Farnum killed a bear with a large pitch-pine knot. He heard the bear squeal or grunt, and started in the direction of the sound, near where Isaac Ferrin now lives. Coming near he found bruin in the act of robbing a wasp's nest
* Tradition, by George Abbot, Esq.
256
PARISH OF CONCORD.
in the ground ; - sticking his head in, the wasps would sting, and he squeal. Zeb., creeping up unseen, and watching his chance, when the bear's head was in the hole, struck him across the back with his club, and killed him .*
Stephen Farnum, and John, his cousin, killed a bear at Horse Hill. While the bear was engaged in defending himself against the dog, Stephen clenched him by the ears, and John knocked his brains out with a pitch-pine knot .*
Rev. Ephraim Abbot, now of Westford, Massachusetts, relates, " That his uncle, Isaac Abbot, told him that he and his brother Ephraim went to the Dark Plains to get a load of candle wood, and came to a large wind-fall tree ; that one of them struck upon it with an axe, and a large bear came out of it, and was about to make an attack upon them; but that they defended themselves and killed the bear with the axe and a lever. The fleslı weighed about four hundred pounds."
The late Moses Abbot and Richard Flanders, who lived near Hopkinton line, west of Long Pond, employed Mr. Asa Herrick, surveyor, to perambulate the line between them. While at work they were attracted to an old root, by the barking of their dog. There they found a bear. Herrick says, "Let it out ;" Abbot says, " Keep it in," and struck at the bear with the head of his axe. But as bruin attempted to come out, he turned the edge of his axe, and with a well aimed blow struck it into the bear's head, and soon killed it. After drawing the bear out, Lieut. Herrick seeing its huge paws, was greatly terrified - being more afraid of a dead bear than of a live one .*
The late Richard Potter used to relate that soon after settling on his place, -where Mr. Thomas D. Potter now lives, - he one night heard an unusual commotion among his hogs, in a pen near the house. He got up and looked about, but saw nothing. After carefully covering the pen with boards, he went to bed, but was soon after roused again by the squealing of his hogs. On going out, he found one of them missing- being borne off by a bear, which carried it on to the hill west of his house, and there devoured it. The bristles of the swine thus devoured were afterwards gathered up, and preserved many years in the family.
* Tradition, by George Abbot, Esq.
257
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND ANECDOTES.
At another time, (soon after his settlement,) Mr. Potter heard a noise at the lower end of " Pine Hill," southeast of his house. Proceeding thither, he found a bear. Bruin had mistaken a wasp's nest in the roots of a tree for a honey-bee's nest, and was attacking it fiercely for its supposed sweets! But the attack proved a bitter sweet -for the wasps, stirred up at so unprovoked an attack, had gone at him with waspish fury ! The bear would rush up to the tree, thrust both paws into the nest, and then, covered with wasps - paws, head and ears - he would retreat a rod or two, uttering the most painful shrieks ! Mr. Potter furnished himself with a stout pitch-wood knot, and when the bear rushed up to the tree to attack the wasps, he rushed up behind him, and dealt him a blow that staggered him; and, re- peating them with a will, he brought bruin to the ground, and despatched him .*
MILITIA.
In 1774 there were two companies of militia in Concord, be- longing to the fifteenth regiment, of which the field officers were, Andrew McMillan, Esq.,; Colonel ; Thomas Stickney, Esq., Lieut. Colonel ; Benjamin Thompson, Esq., Major. Their com- missions were dated January 20, 1774.
Non-Commissioned Field Officer-James Walker, Sergeant- Major.
UNIFORM OF THE REGIMENT.
"The officers to wear red coats, cuff'd, lin'd and lapel'd with sky- blue. Sky-blue waistcoats and breeches, all trim'd with white. Black hats with silver hat-band, button and loops, without lace. White stockings, cockade, sash and white gorgets. Swords with silver hilts. Captains and Lieutenants to carry fusees. Field officers to wear silver shoulder knots."
" By order of His Excellency,
JOHN WENTWORTH, Esq., Captain-General. "February 15, 1774."
EXERCISE.
" The exercise or discipline ordered to be observed and practised in this regiment is that composed for the use of and practised by the Militia of the County of Norfolk, in Great Britain."
" By order of His Excellency," &c.
* Tradition, by lIon. C. E. Potter.
t After 1774 the name of Colonel Andrew McMillan disappears from our record. See Bio- graphical Sketches.
17
258
PARISH OF CONCORD.
OFFICERS OF THE FIRST COMPANY IN CONCORD.
Joshua Abbot, Captain, . Commissioned February 21, 1774.
Jonathan Stickney, Lieutenant, Commissioned February 21, 1774.
John Shute, Ensign, . Commissioned February 21, 1774.
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
Richard Haseltine, Ist Sergeant,' May 24, 1774.
John Chase, 2d Sergeant, . . May 24, 1774.
Dan Stickney, 3d Sergeant, . May 24, 1774.
Nathan Kinsman, 4th Sergeant, . May 24, 1774.
OFFICERS OF THE SECOND COMPANY, BEING THE SIXTH IN THE REGIMENT.+
1
Abiel Chandler, Captain, Commissioned February 26, 1774.
Ebenezer Virgin, Lieutenant, . . Commissioned February 26, 1774.
Jonathan Eastman, Ensign, . . Commissioned February 26, 1774.
TOWN ACCOUNTS.
Extracts from Accounts exhibited and accepted, from March 5th, 1771, to March, 1775. £ S.
To Abiel Chandler, for keeping school and surveying for the parish,
55
14 23
To Jo. Emery, for keeping school, 0 10 6
Patrick Guinlon, for keeping school,
31 17 6
John Blanchard's order for boarding a school mistress, 0 7 6
Robert Hogg, for keeping school two years at £30,
60 0 0
Daniel Abbot, for a wolf's head, .
0 10 0
Dr. E. H. Goss, for taking care of Jacob Pilsbury and wife, 2 7 8
Rev. Mr. Timo. Walker, for procuring the incorpora- tion of Concord, . 5 5 10
Joseph Eastman, jr., for a wolf's head, 0 .
4 0
Timo. Walker, jr., for a set of measures, 53 crows' heads, articles supplied Pilsbury, and his service as selectman and clerk, 7
1 6
Abiel Chandler, for surveying, 0 6
0
Benj. Emery's order for carrying out a lame man, and his services as selectman, 2 8 0
1772. To the Rev'd Mr. Timo. Walker, for preaching from 26th day of Jan'y, 1772, to 26th Jan'y, 1773, 47 1
To John Kimball, for making 5 staves for the tyth- 0 6 3 ing men, .
* The First Sergeant was Clerk of the Company.
¡ The names of the Privates in these Companies are not to be found, but the number on the " Aların List " of the two Companies was one hundred and ninety.
# Equal to $156,83, or £120, at silver 17s. per ounce.
259
PARISH OFFICERS.
To sundry artieles supplied Elisabeth Russ and Sam- uel Walker,
£ S. d.
1 7 3 To Noah Parker, for one new weight, and sealing the old ones,
0 12 0
To Gilman West, for making nails for the meeting-house, 0 5 5
FROM 1774 TO 1775.
To Abiel Chandler, for surveying roads and taking the number of the people, .
3 10 6
John Kimball, for mending the meeting-house, and for nails for do.,
0 13 0
Andrew MeMillan, Esq., for petitioning the General Court, and assisting in settling Mr. Walker's salary, John Kimball, for a coffin for the body of Samuel Walker,
6 0 0
Timothy Walker, jr., for his bill against the parish the year past, . ·
2 13 3
Do. for journey to Exeter, to attend the Congress, 5 days at 5s., travail 13s. 4d.,
1 18 4
To cash paid John Giddinge, for the support of the delegates at the Continental Congress, as per ree't, 6 4 0
Rev'd Mr. Walker, for three journeys to Exeter, to attend the Congress, 3 16 0
To cash paid John Giddinge, for the support of the Delegates, as per rec't, . 3 10 0
To a horse the above four journeys, at 6s.,
1
4 0 .
To cash paid Mr. John Fowle, for taking care of Dr. Carrigin, when siek of the small pox, as per ree't,
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