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 27
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Philip Carigain,
Ezra Badger,
Richard Hood,
Daniel Carter,
Richard Flanders,
Henry Lovejoy,
Richard Herbert,
Ezekiel Dimond,
Lemuel Tucker, Jacob Goodwin, George Graham, Jeremiah Wheeler,
James Haseltine,
William Haseltine,
Simon Trumbel,
Joseph Haseltine, Phineas Kimball, Robert Ambros, . Benjamin Sweat,
Zephaniah Pettey, Zebediah Farnum,
John Chase,
John Shute,
Abiel Blanchard,
Samuel Goodwin,
Jacob Shute,
Benjamin Elliot, James Stevens,
Abner Farnum,
Joseph Hall,
Thomas Eaton. 156.
Not a single name was returned as " disaffected ;" still, as will appear from the proceedings next year, some were "sus- pected," and, whether justly or not, were severely dealt with on that account.
Many of the soldiers in service at Bunker Hill enlisted for eight months, and marched this year to join the Continental Army in New-York. Capt. Joshua Abbot and Capt. Benjamin Emery had command of companies .* Capt. Gordon Hutchins was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in Col. Nahum Baldwin's regiment. On their march to New-York many of his soldiers were taken sick, and no medicines being provided in the public stores, Col. Hutchins purchased a quantity for the use of his soldiers at his own expense-being moved, as he said afterward, in a petition to the General Assembly for remuneration, with " pity and humanity towards the unhappy sufferers, and, also, actuated from zeal for the public service."t
1777.
This year, March 4th, Messrs. Jolin Kimball, Thomas Stickney, Reuben Kimball, Benjamin Emery and Richard Harbut, were
* See names of men from Concord in said companies in Doc. No. 2, for Chap. IX.
t March 17, 1777, Lt. Col. Gordon Hutchins was allowed and paid out of the treasury of New-Hampshire, £3 6s. 6d, in full for his account of medicines for Col. Baldwin's regi- ment, procured by him of Dr. Samuel Tweedy, Stamford, Connecticut, October 3, 1776." [Army Rolls, vol. i., B., pp. 10, 11.]
Joseph Clough,
Timothy Farnham,
Gordon Hutchins,
272
PARISH OF CONCORD.
appointed a " committee of safety." Col. Gordon Hutchins was chosen representative ; and a vote was passed " to reconsider the former vote of the parish, passed March 7, 1775, for leasing the eighty acre lot belonging to the school right, to Oliver Iloyt for nine hundred years - he paying the parish six dollars annu- ally ;" and it was voted, " that instead of said Hoyt paying six dollars annually, the selectmen are directed to receive of him one hundred dollars, in full consideration for said lot ;" and " that the selectmen be directed to lay out the one hundred dollars which they shall receive of Oliver Hoyt for the eighty acre lot, for a town stock of ammunition."
About this time certain prominent individuals were suspected of disaffection to the American cause, notwithstanding they had signed the " Association Test." Hence the following votes were passed March 4th :
" Voted, That this Parish will break off all dealings with Peter Green, Esq., Mr. John Stevens, Mr. Nathaniel Green and Dr. Philip Caragain, untill they give satisfaction to the Parish for their past conduct ; and that they be advertised in the Public Prints as Enemies to the United States of America, unless said Persons give said satis- faction within thirty days from this date; and that the above Persons be disarmed by the Committee of Safety untill they give satisfaction to the Public.
" Voted, That the Committee be directed to instruct Col. Gordon Hutchins to apply to the Courts of Judicature of this State to dismiss Peter Green, Esq., from all Business henceforth and forever.
" Voted, That if any Persons have any Dealings with Peter Green, Esq., Mr. John Stevens, Mr. Nathaniel Green and Dr. Philip Cara- gaiu, before they give satisfaction to the Public, that they be looked upon as Enemies to their Country by this Parish.
" Voted, That the Committee of Safety be directed to instruct Col. Gordon Hutchins to apply to Capt. Parker, the Sheriff for the County of Rockingham, to dismiss Mr. Jacob Green from the office of Deputy Sheriff.
A true copy -
Examined by TIMOTHY WALKER, Jr., Clerk."
In accordance with the spirit of the above votes, some of the zealous liberty men of the west part of the town meditated something a little more personal. About nine o'clock, one morning, Col. Timothy Walker had just mounted his horse to ride away on business, when he observed a considerable number of West Parish men walking with quick steps by the mecting-
273
ARRESTS FOR TORYISM.
house, towards Main street ; and behind them, at some distance, John Bradley, Esq., with a more deliberate step, and apparently in deep thought. Meeting at the corner, by Mr. Hanniford's house, Col. Walker said -" Good morning, Esq. Bradley ; what's going on ?" " I thought I would walk down and see," said Mr. Bradley. They followed on, and found the West Parish men at " Mother Osgood's" tavern, in high excitement, threatening to go at once and pull down Esq. Peter Green's house. On the arrival of Col. Walker and Mr. Bradley, they entered into a discussion with the West Parish men on the merits of the case, and detained them from executing their purpose till near sun- down. Then, inviting them all into " Mother Osgood's" tavern, they called for bowls of punch, and treated the company liberally. All being by this time in a better mood, Col. Walker made a brief speech, which he closed by saying -" Every man to his tent, O Israel!" and they quietly dispersed without tearing down Esq. Green's house !
However, soon after this, Peter Green, Esq., John Stevens, and others, were arrested, carried to Exeter, and confined in jail .* Liberty was granted them to take the oath of allegiance, as a condition of release, which all did except John Stevens. He swore he was as good a friend to his country as any who had caused his arrest, and he never would take the oath required. He was finally discharged from jail, by special order of the Legislature, in 1778. The town also voted, March 4, 1783, to " reconsider the vote formerly passed to break off all dealings with Mr. John Stevens, and that said vote be made null and void."+
May 22d, a committee was chosen to carry into execution an " act for regulating prices of sundry articles."}
July 5th, Lieut. Col. Gerrish, of Boscawen, raised a company in Concord and adjacent towns, for the relief of the garrison at
* " 1777. DR. State of New-Hampshire to Thomas Stickney.
" May. To apprehending Peter Green, Esq., John Stevens, Capt. Jeremiah Clough [of Can- terbury] and Richard Ellison, by order of the Committee of Safety -6 days, at 6s .; to expence, 36s. ; horse, 6s., £3 18 To hiring a guard of 3 men 3 days, . 6
For further notice of Stevens, see Biographical Sketches.
# See Document No. 1, Chap. IX.
18
274
PARISH OF CONCORD.
Ticonderoga. News of the evacuation of the fort soon arrived, and the company was disbanded.
The year 1777 is memorable on account of the battle of Ben- nington, in which Gen. John Stark, with his New-Hampshire volunteers, defeated Col. Baum, and thus ultimately led to the defeat and capture of Gen. Burgoyne.
Never did men enter more heartily into any service than did the soldiers from Concord, who joined Gen. Stark's regiment for the purpose of cutting off Burgoyne in his march from Canada through Vermont to New-York. When the news of Burgoyne's expedition reached New-Hampshire, the General Assembly, which had closed its spring session, was immediately recalled. John Langdon was Speaker of the House. Col. Hutchins was representative from Concord. The highest enthusiasm prevailed. It was understood that Gen. John Stark, who had retired to his farm in affront, because he had been superseded in the conti- nental service, would take command of any volunteers that New- Hampshire would raise, and march at once to the scene of danger. Accordingly he received a commission of brigadier- general from the New-Hampshire government. John Langdon, in the ardor of his patriotism, said -" I have £3000 in money, and fifty hogsheads of rum ; and I will pawn my house and plate for all they are worth, if Gen. Stark will take command of the New-Hampshire troops to cut off Burgoyne ;"- adding, " If we gain our independence I shall be repaid ; if not, it matters not what becomes of my property." As soon as it was decided to raise volunteer companies and place them under command of Gen. Stark, Col. Hutchins mounted his horse, and traveling all night, with all possible haste, reached Concord on Sabbath after- noon, before the close of public service. Dismounting at the meeting-house door, he walked up the aisle of the church while Mr. Walker was preaching. Mr. Walker paused in his sermon, and said-" Col. Hutchins, are you the bearer of any message ?" " Yes," replied the Colonel : "Gen. Burgoyne, with his army, is on his march to Albany. Gen. Stark has offered to take the command of New-Hampshire men ; and, if we all turn out, we can cut off Burgoyne's march." Whereupon Rev. Mr. Walker said -"My hearers, those of you who are willing to go, better
275
THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON.
leave at once." At which word all the men in the meeting-house rose and went out. Many immediately enlisted. The whole night was spent in preparation, and a company was ready to march next day. Phinehas Virgin said -" I can't go, for I have no shoes :" to which Samuel Thompson, a shoe-maker, replied -" Don't be troubled about that, for you shall have a pair before morning," which was done. The late Jonathan East- man, senior, Esq., was in similar want of shoes, and a new pair was also made for him before morning.'
Belonging to Stark's brigade at Bennington were twenty-eight men from Concord. They did not, however, all arrive in season for the fight, which issued in so glorious a victory. Col. Thomas Stickney, Lient. Richard Herbert, Jesse Abbot, John Abbot, Elias Abbot, Abner Flanders, Samuel Kinkson, John Peters and Timothy Johnson were in the battle. Col. Stickney particularly distinguished himself. His regiment was ordered to attack the breast-work which the tories had thrown up. Gen. Stark thus speaks of him in his official dispatch to the Legislature of New- Hampshire, August 18th : " The 16th, I was joined by this State's militia, and those of Berkshire county. I divided my army into three divisions, and sent Col. Nichols, with two hun- dred and fifty men, on the rear of their left wing. Col. Ken- drick, on the rear of their right, with three hundred men, was ordered, when joined, to attack the same. In the mean time I sent three hundred more to oppose the enemy's front, to draw the attention that way. Soon after I detached the Colonels, Hubbard and STICKNEY, on their right wing, with two hundred men, to attack that part, all which plans had their desired effect. Our people behaved with the greatest spirit and bra- very imaginable : had they been Alexanders or Charleses of Sweden, they could not have behaved better."
Col. Gordon Hutchins, who raised a volunteer company of about thirty men, in Concord, hastened as fast as possible towards Bennington, but did not arrive in time to share in the battle. The names of the volunteers in his company cannot be definitely ascertained.
Capt. Joshua Abbot had command of a company in Col. Ger-
* Tradition related by Jacob Hoyt, Esq.
276
PARISH OF CONCORD.
rish's regiment, "which company marched from Concord and towns adjacent, to reinforce the Northern Continental Army at Saratoga, September, 1777."
Among the men enrolled in Capt. Abbot's company was Wil- liam Clement, from Bradford, who was also in the Bennington battle, in Col. Stickney's regiment, which attacked the tory breast-work. As he rushed up to the works, a tory thrust a bay- onet at him ; he struck it aside, and drove his own through his opponent's eye and head with such force, that the bayonet came off, and remained in the tory's head. When they buried the slain, the soldiers told Clement to take his bayonet out of the man's head ; but he declared he would never touch it again, and the body was buried in that condition .*
The tories who were taken captives in the Bennington battle " were ordered to be tied in pairs, and these pairs connected by a rope, to which a horse was harnessed with a postillion mounted to lead them away. The ladies of Bennington dismantled their beds to furnish cords for the purpose, and rendered other services equally patriotic."+
On the 8th of September, this year, the selectmen, together with Lieut. Joseph Hall, Timothy Walker, jr., and Ezekiel Dimond, were appointed a committee " to settle with all persons who have done service in the army." It was voted, " that the expense of the Continental soldiers raised by the Parish of Concord shall be paid by the Parish ;" and that " the sum of four hundred and sixty pounds, lawful money, be raised upon the ratable polls and estate" of the inhabitants for that purpose.
1778.
CONVENTION TO FORM A PLAN OF GOVERNMENT.
At a meeting, January 26, 1778, Col. Thomas Stickney, Rep- resentative in the General Assembly, was instructed " to use his influence in order that a full and free representation of the people be called as soon as conveniently may be, for the sole purpose of laying a permanent plan or system for the future
* Stark's Life, p. 195, note. + Stark's Life.
277
DEPRECIATION OF THE CONTINENTAL MONEY.
government of the State." A convention was agreed upon, to be held at Concord the following June.
Preparatory to the convention, Messrs. James Walker, John Bradley and Amos Abbot, were appointed a committee " to repair the meeting-house so far as is necessary." On the 10th of June following, a convention of seventy-three delegates assem- bled in it to form a new constitution. Timothy Walker, jr., was the delegate from Concord. Among other distinguished members were John Langdon, of Portsmouth, Matthew Thornton and John Bell, from Londonderry ; Josiah Bartlett, of Kingston, Joseph Badger, of Gilmanton, Timothy Farrar, of New-Ipswich, and Samuel Emerson, of Chester. This convention did not complete its labors till the 5th of June, 1779. The constitution was then sent out to the people and was totally rejected ! In Concord the vote was twenty-six for, and twenty-five against it.
THE CURRENCY.
At this time great difficulty was experienced from the depre- ciation of the continental money, which was a paper currency, in the form of bills of credit. As these bills sunk in value, the nominal sum necessary to be raised for current expenses in- creased. As a remedy for the evil, in September, 1779, a convention was held in Concord, " pursuant to a request from the town of Portsmouth, recommending such a convention, for the purpose of appreciating the currency, by regulating the prices," &c. Major Jonathan Hale and Timothy Walker, Esq., were chosen delegates to attend this convention. The convention was probably held in the room fitted up in the store of John Stevens, Esq. On the 18th of October the town chose for a committee " to regulate prices," &c., Messrs. Jonathan Hale, Thomas Wilson, Aaron Kinsman, Jonathan West, David Hall, Reuben Kimball, Joseph Hall, jr., and James Walker ; but whether this committee did any thing in addition to what was done by the committee appointed in 1777, does not appear from any thing on record .*
In 1780, £9.000 were voted to be raised to pay Mr. Walker's
* See Prices, &c., in Document No. 1, Chap. IX.
278
PARISH OF CONCORD.
salary for the current year, and what was due for the last two years. "Laboring men, that worked on the highways," were al- lowed six pounds per day. Not finding £9.000 sufficient to pay their minister, the parish voted to raise £30.000 in addition; and next year, 1781, they voted to raise £50.000 !
Continental paper money was at this time estimated, by the New-Hampshire Legislature, as follows :
In Jan'y, 1780, £2934 " continental money," equal to £100 silver.
In July, 66 6000
100
In Dec., 7300
100 66
In Jan'y, 1781, 7500
66
66
66 100
In June,
7800 66
66
66
100
66
From this period till the close of the Revolution all the measures recommended by the Continental Congress, or by the Council of Safety of New-Hampshire, to carry on the war, were promptly responded to. In 1778, Lieut. Joseph Hall, Capt. Joshua Abbot, John Kimball, James Walker and Lieut. John Chandler were the Committee of Safety. It was voted, " that an average be made in hiring the continental soldiers ;" and a committee was appointed " to examine into what every man has done in the war." In 1779 Lieut. John Chandler, Col. Thomas Stickney, and Capt. Aaron Kinsman, were chosen a committee of Safety ; and a committee appointed to procure eight soldiers, as the proportion which Concord was required to raise, to fill up the continental army. On the 4th of July, 1780, it was voted " to give the soldiers that have lately engaged to serve six months in the continental army, ten bushels of Indian corn per month, or money equal thereto." A committee was also chosen, " to procure fifteen soldiers for the army."
In January, 1781, sixteen more soldiers were called for, and a committee a pointed, to whom discretionary power was given in procuring said soldiers. In exercising their discretion, com- mittees appointed by towns sometimes hired men belonging to other places ; and hence among the men returned for Concord we find the names of some who never had a residence among us .* On the 6th of February it was voted "to raise one
* See the names of soldiers from Concord, in Document No. 2., Chap. IX.
279
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
thousand Spanish milled dollars, in order to enable the parish to procure the soldiers that are now called for to fill up the conti- nental army."
1781-3.
In 1781 another convention was called, to be held in Concord, for the purpose of forming a plan of government .* Col. Timo- thy Walker was chosen delegate. Concord seems to have been chosen for the place of meeting, as mid-way between the towns on the coast and those along the Connecticut river, which were then rising into importance, and respecting which a controversy was then pending between Vermont and New-Hampshire. Tra- dition says that the sessions of the convention were mostly held in the hall over the store of John Stevens, Esq., and that the members found the tavern of "Mother Osgood " in very conve- nient proximity. However that may be, they made slow progress in their labor, and met with poor success when they submitted the draft of their "new Constitution " to the people. The con- vention first met on the 5th of June, and after a session of a few days, they appointed a committee of seven to draft the form of a constitution, and then adjourned to September 14th, next. At the adjourned meeting the committee made their report, and a form of Constitution was agreed upon ; seven hundred copies ordered to be printed, and distributed to each town and place throughout the State, with the request that when acted upon by the people, if rejected in whole or in part, reasons might be assigned therefor, and the same returned with the state of the votes. The convention then adjourned to the fourth Wednesday in January, 1782. When the convention met in January it was found that the constitution was rejected.
The meeting to act on the proposed constitution was held in Concord January 21st, 1782 ; " then it was put to vote to see if the parish would accept the plan of government, as it now stands, and there appeared forty-eight against said plan, and none for it !
" Voted, To have a town representation.
" Voted, To have a Governor at the head of the Legislative body.
* See N. H. Register for 1852, and vol. IV. N. II. Ilist. Coll., p. 154-161, &c.
280
PARISH OF CONCORD.
" Voted, That the Governor shall not have a Privy Council.
" Voted, That the people at large shall appoint their militia officers."
The convention next adjourned to the third Wednesday in Au- gust following, when they again met and agreed upon another form of constitution, which, upon being submitted to the people, was also rejected !
This constitution was acted upon by the people of Concord, December 16, 1782. " Col. Thomas Stickney was chosen mod- erator. Then the question was put to receive the plan of gov- ernment as it now stands, (there being fifty-two voters present,) and it was rejected by the whole !"
" Then some amendments were proposed, which are as fol- loweth, viz. :
" That the Governor and Privy Council be left out, and that there be a President, a Legislative Council and a House of Rep- resentatives ; and that the powers which are vested in a Gov- ernor and Council be vested in the Council and House of Repre- sentatives."
Then the question was put to receive the plan of government with the above amendments, " and it was received by thirty."
The convention met again, according to adjournment, on the last Tuesday in December, and finding their second constitution rejected, - still not disheartened, - adjourned to meet again in June, 1783, when, after due deliberation, they agreed upon a third form of a constitution, had it printed and sent out to the people for their approval or rejection. Then the convention adjourned to October 31, 1783. On assembling and counting the votes as returned, they found the constitution was accepted by the people ; and on the same day, the form was declared to be the civil constitution of the State of New-Hampshire.
At the meeting in Concord, September 29, 1783, to act on the proposed constitution,
Voted, " To receive the constitution of government as altered by the convention in June last." Twenty in favor of it and ten against it."
Thus the convention, which commenced its labors June 5th, 1781, held, as appears by the records, at least seven different
281
THE RETURN OF PEACE.
sessions, and succeeded at the third trial, after a period of two years, four months and twenty-six days, in forming a constitution which the people approved and adopted, and which was estab- lished October 31, 1783 .*
In the warrant for the town-meeting, September 29, 1783, was an article, "To see if the parish will vote to alter the eighth article of the confederation of the United States, agreea- ble to the recommendation of Congress."
Upon which, " Voted, Not to alter the eighth article of the confederation of the United States, agreeable to the recommend- ation of Congress."
The article referred to was as follows :
ART. VIII. " All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defence or general warfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several States, in proportion to the value of all land within each State, granted to or surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated according to such mode as the United States in Congress assembled, shall from time to time direct and appoint. The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the Legislatures of the several States within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled."
In 1783 the Revolutionary War was brought to a close and our National Independence established. Peace was proclaimed in the army on the 19th of April. The soldiers who survived the conflicts in which they had valiantly fought for the rights of their country, returned home to enjoy the blessings which had been purchased at so dear a price .; Some of our men, as we have seen, marched at the first sound of war, to Lexington ; they faced the enemy on the heights of Bunker Hill ; experienced great privations and sufferings in the Northern Army, at Ticon- deroga, and under Arnold at Quebec ; met and conquered the enemy, under the gallant Stark, at Bennington ; were at the capture of Burgoyne at Saratoga ; - some had the honor of
* See N. H. Hist. Coll., vol. 4, pp. 162-173. N. H. Register, 1852, pp. 22-27, where also is a list of Delegates.
t For the names of all the soldiers from Concord, who are known to have been in the war of the Revolution, the places where they served, &c., see Document No. 2, Chap. IX.
282
PARISH OF CONCORD.
suffering with Washington at Valley Forge, and of sharing in his victories at Princeton and Trenton ; some were at the scene of blood in Wyoming, and in short had participated in all the dangers, sufferings and glory incident to the war.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS AND INTERESTING INCIDENTS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION.
SMALL-POX.
In July, 1775, Dr. Philip Carrigain visited a patient in a neighboring town, who, as it proved, had the small-pox. The doctor took it in the natural way. The nature of the disease was not discovered until John, son of Mr. Nathaniel West, who lived on the opposite side of the street from Dr. C., also took the disease. The doctor inoculated his own family, consisting of five members, who all recovered. Mr. West's family consisted of nine ; six of whom had the disease in the natural way, the others escaped. Mr. West died, aged fifty-eight. It was first known on Saturday that the small-pox was in town. So great was the alarm, that the next morning, Sunday, the inhabitants assembled en masse, and commenced the erection of a pest-house, in a grove west of the late residence of Capt. Benjamin Emery - now of Ebenezer S. Towle ; and such was the zeal with which they applied themselves to the work, that by night the timber for a convenient house, to consist of four rooms, had been felled, hewed, framed and raised ; the boards for covering, and brick for the chimney, were drawn to the ground. Dr. Carrigain and his family remained at their own house. Fences were run across the street to cut off all communication, and a road was opened through the fields. Mr. West's family was conveyed to the pest house. The expense of building the house was paid by the town, amounting to forty pounds, lawful money.
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