USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Dublin > The history of Dublin, N.H., Volume 1852 > Part 25
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company of light infantry, and were commanded by John Morse, taking post at the right of the first battallion of the twelfth regiment. The east half formed the fifth company as before, and was commanded by James Adams, who was then a merchant on the Appleton Stand. He was succeeded by Abel Wilder, who rose to the post of colonel. He was followed by Moses Marshall, who served until 1806. The captains of the light infantry after John Morse, who rose to the post of major, were Phinehas Gleason, Andrew Allison, and Robert Muzzy. Captain Muzzy signed an agreement in 1806, to divide the regiment east and west, instead of north and south. This brought the company of light in- fantry to the post of the left of the regiment instead of the right; and so great was the dissatisfaction caused by this measure, that little was done till 1808, when the Legislature incorporated a company of grenadiers, which took post on the right of the regiment, and was commanded by Dr. Samuel Hamilton. The company of grenadiers were dressed in uniforms of strait scarlet coats, white pantaloons, black gai- ters, and white belts. The uniform was afterwards changed to blue. Twenty different persons have commanded this company, of whom Rufus Piper rose to the post of colonel. It was disbanded when under the command of Henry C. Piper; and their arms, which had been furnished by the State, were returned to the arsenal at Portsmouth, and their records to the Adjutant-General. The following is a list of the commanders of the grenadier company in the order of their service : -
Samuel Hamilton. John Crombie. Samuel Mason.
Almerin Gowing. Dexter Mason.
Luke Knowlton.
Joseph Gowing. Richard Strong.
Joseph Evleth.
Calvin Learned.
Bela Morse. John Taggart, jun.
Charles A. Hamilton. Jason Phelps.
Rufus Piper.
Ebenezer Greenwood.
Samuel Allison.
Joseph P. Frost.
Calvin Mason.
Henry C. Piper.
Joseph Evleth.
The following is a list of the commanders of the infantry company ; but the order of service is not in all cases cer- tainly known : -
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Joseph Hayward, jun. Benjamin Wallingsford. John Jones. Jede. K. Southwick.
Ebenezer Perry. Asa H. Fisk. Jacob Gleason.
Curtis Smith.
John Wight. Moses Adams, jun., 2d. Abraham Shattuck.
Thaddeus P. Mason.
Cyrus E. Hardy.
Samuel Adams.
Henry Heard, jun. Cyrus Piper, jun.
Joseph W. Powers.
Jona. K. Smith, who rose to the post of Colonel.
Thomas S. Corey.
Joel Hart.
Rufus W. Piper.
Elias Hardy.
Lewis P. Randolph.
A company of cavalry, or troop, was formed, the members of which belonged in part to Dublin, and in part to Nelson. We have no information respecting the time when this com- pany was organized or disbanded. The commanders who resided in Dublin were John Warren, Nahum Warren, and Simeon Stanley.
HARDSHIPS OF EARLY SETTLERS.
Of the hardships endured by those who first came to Dublin, it is not easy for the present generation to form an adequate conception. It is true their situation was some- what ameliorated by their proximity to Peterborough, where a grist-mill was in operation ; but, during the deep snows of winter, the roads were impassable for oxen or horses. It is related that Mrs. William Greenwood, one morning in win- ter, put on snow-shoes, took half a bushel of corn on her shoulder, went by marked trees to Peterborough, had it ground into meal, and returned to Dublin the same day.
The first log cabins, as they have been described to us by Benjamin Marshall, were rude structures. Neither bricks, nails, nor boards were accessible ; and for dwelling-places, the pioneers in the settlement built with logs what would now be called a pen, in dimensions about fifteen feet by twelve, having two doors, one on the south side and the other on the east. For a roof, they took spruce-bark, and tied it to poles by means of withes or twisted twigs. For a cellar, they dug the loose earth from the top of the ground, piled up logs on three sides, then with bark and dirt the whole was so covered as to exclude the frost. For a floor, they split white ash into planks, and smoothed them with a narrow
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axe. One man, it is said, was at great expense to procure boards for a roof; but, having made shingles, he fastened them to the boards by wooden pegs. For a chimney, they laid stone up to the mantel-tree, and then split laths, built them up cob-house fashion, and plastered inside and outside with clay mortar. If a few bricks could be obtained, they would lay up a pile of flat stones two or three rods from the house, and construct an oven on the top of the pile, using clay for mortar. New comers were in the practice of taking their dough to their neighbor's oven, when one was near enough, or they baked their bread on the stone-hearth by their own fire.
Though bears were occasionally troublesome, yet their flesh was sometimes used as food, when they could be caught. Eli Greenwood, son of William Greenwood, used to relate, that, before he was of age, he with his father and brother came up at times to the west part of the town to work upon the lots which had been given them, and that on one occasion they had for several days no other meat than a quarter of an old bear baked. He added that his father, as twelve o'clock approached, was wont to say, "We had better not eat dinner till late; for, if we eat early, we shall not be hungry enough to get down much of the old bear."
In the year 1781, Aaron Marshall was troubled with bears in his corn-field. He set two guns at the place where the bear entered the field. The neighbors, being together at a husking, heard the report of the guns, and all went to see how it fared with the bear. They found him dead, car- ried him to the house, laid him down on the floor, pulled Benjamin Marshall, then a small boy, out of bed, and placed him on the back of the bear. Wolves were troublesome as late as the year 1790. One night in December of that year, they entered the barn-yard of Aaron Marshall, killed five or six sheep, and ate them nearly all up. On opening the door in the morning, a sheep stood on the step with an icicle of blood hanging to her throat. About the same time, a lynx or catamount attacked Mr. Marshall's geese, of which the old gander gave warning by running to the house-door, and screaming at the top of his voice. The animal was caught the next night in a trap set for the purpose. One evening in the year 1772, the wife of Ebenezer Cobb, who lived on lot eight, range nine, heard her pig squeal, as if in great
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distress. She caught her broom, ran to the pen, and found a bear holding her pig by the top of his neck. Not willing to lose her pig, she began to pound the bear with her broom, calling at the same time for help; and she drove him off, and saved her pig, before any help came.
Mrs. Ivory Perry, after she was ninety years of age, was heard to say, that in the winter she used in the early days of the town to ride to meeting on an ox-sled, but that she sometimes went on foot. Returning alone from meeting, one Sunday afternoon, she saw a wolf near where John Brooks now lives. The wolf was walking along by the side of the road. She thought it was a dog ; but, on seeing after- wards a stuffed wolf-skin, she recognized it as belonging to the same kind of animal that she saw on the road. Mrs. Perry said that they were sometimes obliged to cut up their corn to prevent bears from destroying it. On one occasion, she went to the corn-field at the beginning of twilight to gather ears of corn. She had filled her apron ; and her son John, then a small boy, had filled a basket. John suddenly screamed out, "Mother, there is a bear!" The bear sat up on his haunches, eating green corn. She called the dog, but he did not come ; and the bear, apparently undisturbed, continued eating, while she and her son walked away. The bear was seen again the next evening.
The habitations of the early settlers were not always substantial log cabins ; but sometimes they were temporary huts rather loosely put together, and, in one instance cer- tainly, affording small protection against the inclemency of the weather. We have good authority for the following statement : Thomas Atwood, who settled on lot twenty-one, range six, came to Dublin in the autumn, and lived the first winter in a kind of shanty which had no chimney ; the fire was made against the perpendicular side of a large rock. In the course of the winter, they had a child born during a storm of rain. The only way they could contrive to pre- vent the rain from falling on Mrs. Atwood, was to extend over her a side of leather which had been recently pur- chased.
During the period of the Revolutionary War, there were many instances of severe hardship. Those women especially, whose husbands were in the army, experienced heavy trials. We give an instance of one which exhibits both patriotic fortitude and enduring domestic toil and perseverance. It is
36
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taken from a Sketch of the Life of Nathaniel Belknap, by his son, Lawson Belknap : -
"In the summer of 1779, the situation of the American army became somewhat critical, and a call was made for more troops. Richard Gilchrest was selected to go; but the situation of his family was such as to make it necessary for him to be at home. He requested Mr. Belknap to go in his stead. Mr. Belknap said he would go, if his wife was willing. After the situation of the army and the necessity of more men were explained to her, Mr. Belknap put the question, 'Are you willing I should go?' It was a trying moment, even for a woman of the Revolution. She had two small children, the oldest but two and a half years old, three cows, and some other young stock, and her husband would not return before mid-winter. She turned to Mr. Gilchrest, and said, 'If we are sick or need help, will you assist us ?' His answer was, 'Yes.' Then turning to her husband, she said, "You may go and fight, Mr. Gilchrest will take care of us.' During Mr. Belknap's absence, Mrs. Belknap took care of her children and cattle, Mr. Gilchrest assisting in bad weather, harvested her corn and pota- toes ; and she worked at her loom so much, that money enough was earned to purchase another cow, which she bought and paid for before her husband's return. Mr. Belknap served six months, was promoted to the post of orderly sergeant, and was discharged in Rhode Island at the time of the great snow-storm, 1780. He was engaged in no general battle, but took part in several skir- mishes, in one of which his right-hand man fell, and he saw his cousin's head split open by a British sabre. He received pay for his services in paper money ; the worth of which may be judged from the fact, that while on his way home he paid fifty dollars for a pair of snow-shoes, twenty-five dollars for a meal of victuals, and five dollars for a glass of brandy."
From Mr. Belknap's Sketch, we make a few more ex- tracts ; as the facts stated indicate, in some respects, the general hardships of the early settlers : -
" When Mr. Belknap moved his wife to Dublin, her marriage portion from her father was one cow. As the grass on the newly cleared land was abundant, there was a large supply of milk, a part of which was lost for want of suitable vessels. These could not be obtained at a nearer distance than New Ipswich. Mr. Bel- knap started one morning on foot for New Ipswich, with a bag under his arm to bring home whatever utensils he might purchase. He procured two earthen pots ; one of which he put in each end of his bag, and placed them on his shoulder. On returning home- ward he met one of his townsmen in Peterborough, who kindly offered to carry his pots to Dublin. From the rough condition of
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the roads, or, as Belknap rather thought, in consequence of having taken too much flip, his friend let the pots swing together, and one of them was broken and spoiled; and thus, after a journey through the woods of more than thirty miles, he returned with only one pot."
" Mr. Belknap suffered his part of loss from the destruction of sheep by wolves. He had increased his flock to the number of eight, and was not a little elated with the hope of having a plenty of the warm woollens - which his wife well knew how to manu- facture - wherewith to clothe himself and family. But, going one morning to the rear of his buildings, he found the mangled remains of his sheep, all of which had been torn in pieces by the wolves ; and with them his faithful dog, that, in attempting to protect the property of his master, had shared the same fate. On another occasion, he had eleven out of thirteen sheep killed in a single night."
" Mr. Belknap had erected a barn large enough to hold all his crops ; but on the 20th of October, 1788, a severe thunder-storm passed over the town, and his barn was struck by lightning ; and his hay, grain, and potatoes, with all his farming tools, were destroyed. Nothing was saved except a single pumpkin, which his son, seven years old, rescued from the burning building, and rolled down the hill almost to the next neighbor's. The people of the town immediately turned out, and erected another frame on the same foundation ; and in a short space of time the new barn was completed."
For many years after the first settlement of Dublin, there were but few sleighs. The travelling was all on foot or on horseback. The practice, from the south part of the town to the great road, was, when the snow became deep, to begin at Twitchell's Mills, and proceed to Moses Greenwood's, in the following manner: The oxen and young cattle were turned unyoked into the road, and one person went before them to commence a track, and he was followed by the cattle. When the man on the lead became tired, another took his place. At each settlement, the fresh cattle were put forward; and, by being thus driven in Indian file, a good horse-path was made.
The food of the first settlers was of the plainest kind. While clearing his farm, Mr. Belknap boarded at Samuel Twitchell's during the season for work out of doors. His food for a certain day, as he described it, would not seem at all suitable for a laboring man in modern times. His break- fast, he said, was bean-porridge ; his dinner, a piece of baked pumpkin, with a thin slice of pork baked upon it;
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and his supper, bean-porridge. For breakfast and supper, bean-porridge was a common dish. Dinners were more varied ; but Mr. Belknap was often heard to say, he believed he had eaten a well-full of bean-porridge. No recipe is given, that we know of, in modern books of cookery, for the making of this article of food; but, if it was water in which meat had been boiled with beans added, it must have commended itself in hard times by its nutritive qualities, and, to the hard-working and hungry man, might not have been unsavory to the taste.
ANECDOTES.
Among the early settlers in school-district number three, were John and Simeon Russell. They were brothers ; but their dispositions were not of that character which contri- butes to the peace and harmony of society. They were often engaged in petty wrangling with each other, especially when they had been partaking of the intoxicating cup. It hap- pened that one of them found a swarm of wild bees in a hollow tree standing on the land of the other, and he claimed them as his property. The other claimed them on the ground that they were on his land. Many an alter- cation took place in relation to the bees. The time arrived at length for taking the honey, and the finder started for that purpose. He felled the tree; but his brother, warned probably by hearing the strokes of the axe, came to the spot, and a sharp quarrel was begun. Both claimed the bees, and both were determined to have them. The conten- tion was continued for a long time ; but neither would yield. At length one of them kindled a fire, as is generally done in such cases, to destroy the bees. This enraged the other still more, and the contest was renewed with additional vigor. While they were thus struggling for the mastery, the fire took strong hold of the tree, which proved to be dry, and consumed the entire contents of the tree; leaving the con- tending brothers with bloody noses, but not one drop of honey. Such is the result, if not literally, yet figuratively, of many a quarrel.
Two members of the Baptist Church, a Mr. Rollins and a Mr. Riggs, had a misunderstanding with regard to some dealings between them ; and Mr. Riggs took occasion to call
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his brother Rollins an old skin-flint. Mr. Rollins considered it scandalous, and reported his brother Riggs to the church for discipline. A meeting was called, and presided over by Elder Willard. Mr. Rollins stated his grievance; and the brethen discussed the matter, and gave their opinions. The Elder cautioned them against being hasty, and suggested the propriety of ascertaining the definition of the opprobrious epithet by consulting a dictionary. A messenger was sent for a dictionary, and one was procured; but they were doomed to be disappointed, for the word could not be found. In this dilemma, they felt somewhat perplexed; but the Elder proposed that Brother Riggs should state to the church what he meant, when he called Brother Rollins an old skin- flint. Mr. Riggs, who had been sitting in silence during the whole proceedings, rose up and said, in a sonorous and lisping manner, that was natural to him: "I meant that brother Rollins was a right-down honest, clever man."
This must, of course, in the absence of other testimony, have been deemed satisfactory.
William Spaulding, whose present residence is Cavendish, Vt., lived eight years with Rev. Mr. Sprague, beginning in 1801. He often drove Mr. Sprague in his coach to Keene, on a visit to Mrs. Sprague. On one occasion, he says, Dr. Daniel Adams, with Dr. Nathan Smith, called on Mr. Sprague. Rev. Mr. Ainsworth, who was present, was previously ac- quainted with Dr. Smith, and, after shaking hands with him, he said, " Shall I introduce to you Daddy Sprague ?" Mr. Sprague, taking no notice apparently of the rude mode of . introduction, said, "I am happy to see you, sir ; I have often heard of you as an eminent surgeon ; " and, putting his hand on Mr. Ainsworth's shoulder, continued, " I have a foolish fel- low here, and I want you to trepan him ; take out two ounces of his brains, and put in a little common sense and decency."
A number of clergymen were present one evening at the house of Mr. Sprague ; and, while he was out of the room, they began to discuss the question of disinterested benevo- lence, which, in that day, was a topic of no small interest. Experiencing considerable difficulty in finding a satisfactory example, they agreed to refer the matter to Mr. Sprague for a decision. Accordingly, when he came in, Mr. Ains- worth stated the point of discussion, and the difficulty which
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they encountered, and requested him to solve the question by furnishing a satisfactory example. Mr. Sprague quickly replied, "Surely, brethren, I find no difficulty in deciding. I have a case in my mind, a clear and evident one ; one, in short, that must for ever settle the question." But as he hesitated, and seemed unwilling to state the case or example, the brethren urged him to proceed. "Well," said he, "it is the people of Jaffrey, who pay brother Ainsworth three hundred dollars a year for preaching, when they do not get, nor expect to get, the least particle of benefit from it. That is what I call pure, disinterested benevolence."
Moses Adams and John Muzzy were highly esteemed for their sound judgment and strict integrity. They were often called upon as referees to settle difficulties among their neighbors. It is related that Mr. Adams, being requested by John Farnum to act as referee in a case between him and Dr. Nathaniel Breed of Nelson, for taking too much toll for grinding his grain, inquired how much Farnum supposed he had lost in that way. Mr. Adams, on being told, went to his own grain, measured out the amount, delivered it to Farnum, and thus settled the matter.
FATAL CASUALTIES.
The first death in Dublin was occasioned by the falling of a tree. John Robinson had settled on lot ten, range one, before Samuel Twitchell was married. Mr. Robinson had built an oven ; and Mr. Twitchell, having commenced house- keeping without one, took the dough for a batch of bread, on an afternoon in 1767, and, accompanied by his wife, went to Mr. Robinson's for the purpose of using the oven. Mr. Twitchell inquired for Mr. Robinson, and Mrs. R. said he was in the woods not far off chopping down trees ; but she added that she had not heard the sound of his axe for some little time. Mr. Twitchell repaired to the chopping, and found his friend fatally injured by the falling of a tree, a branch of which struck him as it fell. It is said that every person in town was present at the funeral of Mr. Robinson. By what clergyman the funeral service was performed is not known to us. He was buried, it is said, without the limits of the present graveyard, in the road south-east of the old
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meeting-house spot, near the place where the hearse-house formerly stood.
William Greenwood was killed by the falling of timbers at the raising of a barn, June 27, 1782.
Joseph Mason was killed by the falling of a tree, March, 1806.
Joel Kendall, a brother, and son, were killed by the same stroke of lightning, June 1, 1806.
John Pratt had a son drowned previous to the year 1819.
Nathan Jones had a young daughter suffocated, November, 1822, by a bean in the trachea.
Nathaniel Watts, of Peterborough, was killed Oct. 14, 1822, by the premature explosion of a charge of powder from a rock which he was blasting in the well of Joseph Evleth.
In November, 1823, Peter Morse was so much injured by the rolling of a log upon him, while at work in his saw-mill, that his death occurred about a week afterwards.
In April, 1828, Minott Hayward was so injured by a fall in a building which he was erecting, that he died after a few days.
Elliot Due, a colored man, belonging to Hancock, was found drowned, April 19, 1843, in the north part of Dublin, in shallow water ; and intoxication was supposed to be the cause of his falling, and of his inability to extricate himself.
Neverson Greenwood, February, 1845, on sliding from a hay-mow, came forcibly upon the end of a pitchfork-handle, which entered his body, and caused death in a few days.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
The persons whose names have a star annexed have been appointed justices of the peace and quorum. Those with a dagger annexed never took the oath of office. Asa H. Fisk is justice of the peace throughout the state. The names are placed in the order of their appointment; but the precise times are not known to us.
Joseph Greenwood. Reuben Morse. Samuel Twitchell. John Snow .* Asa Fisk.t
Thaddeus Morse. John Taggart, jun. Joseph Appleton. Rufus Piper. Cyrus Frost.
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Jonathan K. Smith .*
Thomas Fisk .*
Asa Heald .*
Moses Marshall.
Richard Strong.i
Aaron Smith.
Nahum Warren.t
Osgood N. Russell.
Asa H. Fisk .*
Milan W. Harris.
Jonathan K. Smith was county-treasurer in the years 1838 and '9, and road-commissioner in 1844, '5, and '6.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
Bible Society. - A Ladies' Bible Association was formed in 1828, auxiliary to the New Hampshire Bible Society ; and a contribution has been forwarded to the parent society in each year since its formation. This association has con- stituted the following persons life-members of the New Hampshire Bible Society : Mrs. L. W. Leonard, Rev. James Tisdale, Rev. Henry A. Kendall, Rev. Alonzo Hayes. Dea- con Francis Appleton, by his own subscription, was consti- tuted a life-member of the New Hampshire Bible Society.
In the year 1824, Rev. Levi W. Leonard was made a life-member of the American Bible Society, by the subscrip- tions of seventy ladies of his congregation, collected by Mrs. Mary Warren.
Letter of Matthew Thornton. - The following is an origi- nal letter from Matthew Thornton to Thomas Morse. It shows the scarcity of writing-paper in that day; for it is all written on one side of a piece of paper about six inches long and three inches wide, yet folded and directed on the outside : -
" To Capt. Thomas Morse in Dublin.
" LONDONDERRY, March 8th, A.D. 1775.
" Good Old Friend, -I Long to hear from you and family ; and, as the time that the men which Purchased Land from me in your Town Set to pay is past, take the trouble to let them know that they must Settle Immediately. Mrs. Thornton Joines with me and sends Compliments to your wife and family. - From, Sir, Your Real friend and H'ble. Ser't., MATTHEW THORNTON."
Province Tax, 1770 .- The following receipt shows that the province-tax on Dublin at that period was not a light
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one, considering the small number of inhabitants and the newness of the settlement : -
" PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
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