USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire > Part 41
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316
HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
[1756.
who called another congress, at New-York, and planned another expedition against Crown-Point ; for which purpose, he called on the several governments to raise men and provide stores. A regi- ment was raised in New-Hampshire, the command of which was given to Colonel Nathaniel Meserve.1 They also appointed two commissioners, Peter Gilman and Thomas Westbrooke Waldron, who resided at Albany, to take care of the stores, whilst the regi- ment, with the other troops, assisted in building forts and batteaux. In the midst of this campaign, Shirley was superseded by the Earl of Loudon ; but the summer passed away in fruitless labor ; whilst the French, by their superior alertness, besieged and took the English fort at Oswego ; and the regiments of Shirley and Pepperell, who garrisoned it, were sent prisoners to France. 2 During this summer, the Indians killed Lieutenant Moses Willard, and wounded his son at Number-Four ; and took Josiah Foster, with his wife and two children, from Winchester. They also wounded Zebulon Stebbins, of Hinsdale, who, with Reuben Wright, discovered an ambush, and prevented the captivity of several persons for whom the Indians were lying in wait.3
'The soldiers of New-Hampshire were so expert, in every ser- vice which required agility, and so habituated to fatigue and dan- ger ; that, by the express desire of Lord Loudon, three ranging companies were formed of them ; wlio continued in service during the winter as well as the summer.4 The command of these com- panies was given to Robert Rogers, John Stark, and William Stark. They were eminently useful in scouring the woods, pro- curing intelligence, and skirmishing with detached parties of the enemy. These companies were kept during the war, in the pay of the crown ; and after the peace, the officers were allowed half pay on the British establishment .*
(1) Shirley's letters. (2) July 25-Loudon's MS. letters. (3) Gay, Sum- ner and Olcott's MS. letters. (4) Lord Loudon's MS. letters.
* [1756. From this period is to be dated the first introduction of printing in the province of New-Hampshire. A printing press was set up at Portsmouth in August, this year, by Daniel Fowle, frem Boston, and the New-Hampshire Gazette was issued by him on the seventh of October following. Dr. Thom- as in his History of Printing, vol. ii. p. 280, thus speaks of the establishment of the Gazette. "A Press having been established at Portsmouth, by Dan- iel Fowle, from Boston, he, in August, 1756, began the publication of a pub- lic journal, entitled the New-Hampshire Gazette." From the circumstance that the head of the first number of the Gazette, with the date, (August) is given by Dr. Thomas, it might be supposed he had seen that number, or that some one who had seen it, had copied the head of it for him, with the true date. But the time given by him is evidently wrong, as will appear from the following printed note from Ames's Almanack for 1757, which was issued from the same press the same year the Gazette commenced. "The first PRINTING PRESS set up in PORTSMOUTH, NEW-HAMPSHIRE, was on August 1756 ; The GAZETTE published the 7th October ; and this ALMANACK November following." This paper is still continued and is the oldest in New-England. The number for 12 October, 1830, is marked Vol. LXXV. No. 48. About eighty different newspapers have been published in New-Hampshire. Some of them have had a very brief existence, while others have attained a respect-
317
PROVINCE. BENNING WENTWORTHI.
1757.]
The next year, another Crown-Point expedition was projected by Lord Loudon. The crown was at the expense of stores and provisions, and required of the colonies, to raise, arm, clothe, and pay their quotas of men. Another regiment 1757. was raised in New-Hampshire, of which Meserve was command- er ; who went to Halifax with part of his regiment, a body of one hundred carpenters, and three companies of rangers, to serve un- der Lord Loudon, whilst the other part of the regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Goffe, was ordered by General Webb, who commanded at the westward, in the absence of the Earl of Lou- don, to rendezvous at Number-Four. Before their arrival, a large party of French and Indians attacked the mills in that place, and took Sampson Colefax, David Farnsworth and Thomas Ad- ams.1 The inhabitants, hearing the guns, advanced to the mills ; but finding the enemy in force, prudently retreated. The enemy burned the mills ; and in their retreat, took two other men, who were coming in from hunting, viz. Thomas Robbins and Asa Spaf- ford. Farnsworth and Robbins returned ; the others died in Canada.
Goffe with his men marched through Number-Four and joined General Webb at Albany ; who posted them at Fort William Hen- ry, near Lake George, under the command of Colonel Munroe, of the thirty-fifth British regiment. The French General Mont- calm, at the head of a large body of Canadians and Indians, with a train of artillery, invested this fort ; and in six days, the garrison, after having expended all their ammunition, ca- Aug. 3. pitulated ; on condition that they should not serve against the French for eighteen months. They were allowed the honors of war, and were to be escorted by the French Aug. 9. troops to Fort Edward, with their private baggage. The Indians, who served in this expedition, on the promise of plunder, were enraged at the terms granted to the garrison ; and, as they march- ed out unarmed, fell upon them, stripped them naked, and mur- dered all who made any resistance. The New-Hampshire regi- ment happening to be in the rear, felt the chief fury of the ene- my. Out of two hundred, eighty were killed and taken.^
(1) Olcott's MS. letters. (2) New-Hampshire Gazette, No. 49.
able age. The three oldest, next to the Gazette, now published, are the Portsmouth Journal, marked on the 3 July, 1830, No. 27, Vol. XLI ; the New- Hampshire Sentinel, printed at Keene, which commenced in March, 1799; and the Farmer's Cabinet, published at Amherst, which commenced 11 Nov- ember, 1802. The number of newspapers now (1830) printed in the state amounts to nineteen.
1756. Ezekiel Flanders and Edward Emery were killed by the Indians, when hunting beaver by New-found pond, between Bristol and Hebron, in the county of Grafton. The Indians afterwards informed, that one of them was shot when skinning a beaver in a camp, and the other shot at the same time, in sight of the camp, bringing in a beaver on his back. The next year, Moses Jackman, of Boscawen, who it is believed is still living, was taken captive while on a visit at Mr. Clough's in Canterbury. He returned after a captivity of four years. Price, Ilist. of Boscawen, 114, 115.]
318
HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
[1757.
This melancholy event threw the whole country into the deep- est consternation. Webb, who remained at Fort Edward, ex- pecting to be there attacked, sent expresses to all the provinces for reinforcements. The French, however, did not pursue their advantage, but returned to Canada. A reinforcement of two hundred and fifty men was raised in New-Hampshire, under the command of Major Thomas Tash ;" which, by the orders of General Webb, was stationed at Number-Four. This was the first time that the troops of New-Hampshire occupied that im- portant post.1
Hitherto the war had been, on our part, unsuccessful. The great expense, the frequent disappointments, the loss of men, of forts, and of stores, were very discouraging. The enemy's coun- try was filled with prisoners, and scalps, private plunder, and pub- lic stores and provisions, which our people, as beasts of burden, had conveyed to them. These reflections were the dismal enter- tainment of the winter. The next spring called for fresh exer- tions ; and happily for America, the British ministry had been changed, and the direction of the war, in answer to the united voice of the people of England, was put into the hands of that decisive statesman, William Pitt.
In his circular letter to the American governors, he assured them ; that to repair the losses and disappointments of the last 175S. inactive campaign, it was determined to send a formidable force, to operate by sea and land, against the French in America ; and lie called upon them to raise ' as large bodies of ' men, within their respective governments, as the number of in- ' habitants might allow ;' leaving it to them, to form the regiments and to appoint officers at their discretion .? He informed them that arms, ammunition, tents, provisions, and boats would be fur- nished by the crown ; and he required the colonies to levy, clothe and pay their men ; assuring them that recommendations would be made to parliament ' to grant them a compensation.'
Notwithstanding their former losses and disappointments, the assembly of New-Hampshire, on receiving this requisition, cheer- fully voted eight hundred men for the service of the year.3 The regiment commanded by Colonel John Hart, marched to the west- ward, and served under General Abercrombie. A body of one hun- dred and eight carpenters, under the conduct of Colonel Meserve, embarked for Louisburg, to serve at the second siege of that for- tress, under General Amherst. Unhappily the small pox broke out among them, which disabled them from service ; all but six-
(1) MS. letters of Governor Wentworth. (2) Original MS. (3) Govern- or's proclamation, April 1.
* [Major Thomas Tash was born in Durham in 1722. He was a brave offi- cer in both the French and Revolutionary wars. At the close of the latter, he removed to New-Durham, where he died at the age of 87. Gazetteer of New-Hampshire, 195.]
319
PROVINCE. ,BENNING WENTWORTH.
1758.]
teen were seized at once, and these attended the sick.1 Meserve* and his eldest son died of this fatal disorder. This year was re- markable for the second surrender of Louisburg ; the unfortunate attack on the lines of Ticonderoga, where Lord Howe was killed ; the taking of Fort Frontenac by Colonel Bradstreet, and the de- struction of Fort du Quesne on the Ohio, the contention for which, began the war.f
In the course of this year, the Indians continued to infest the frontiers. At Hinsdale, they killed Captain Moore, and his son ; took his family and burned his house. At Number-Four, they killed Asahel Stebbins, and took his wife, with Isaac Parker and a soldier. The cattle of this exposed settlement, which fed chiefly in the woods, at a distance from the fort, often served the enemy for provisions."
The next year, a similar requisition being made by Secretary Pitt, New-Hampshire raised a thousand men for the ser- 1759. vice, who were regimented under the command of Colon- el Zaccheus Lovewell, son of the famous partisan, who lost his life at Pequawket .¿ This regiment joined the army at the west- ward, and served under General Amherst in the actual reduction of Ticonderoga and Crown-Point, and in building a new fortress at the last place. The success of this summer was brilliant, be- yond former example. The French fort at Niagara surrendered to General Johnson ; and the strong city of Quebec was taken by the British troops under General Wolfe, who, with the French General Montcalm, was slain in the decisive battle.
When the British arms liad obtained a decided superiority over the French, it was determined to chastise the Indians who had committed so many devastations on the frontiers of New- Sept. 13. England. Major Robert Rogers§ was despatched from
(1) Amherst's printed journal, June 28. (2) Gay'sand Olcott's MS. letters.
* Colonel Meserve, was a gentleman of a fine mechanical genius. Being a shipwright by profession, he attained to eminence in his business, and acquired a handsome fortune. His moral and social character was unblemished, and in the military line, he was highly respected. The Earl of Loudon had such a sense of his merit, as to present him a piece of plate, with an inscription, acknowledging ' his capacity, fidelity, and ready disposition, in the service of his country.' New-Hampshire Gazette, No. 97.
t [This important fortress was taken by the English on the 25 November, and in compliment to the popular minister of England at that time, was called Pittsburg.]
# [Colonel Zaccheus Lovewell was a brother of Captain John Lovewell, the hero of Pequawket. See Collections of Farmer and Moore, ii. 64.]
§ [Major Rogers after the peace went to England, and published his jour- nals of this war, in London in 1765. He also published a Concise Account of North America in Svo. London 1765. In the Revolution he espoused the side of the British, and was included in the act passed by the General Court of New-Hampshire, 19 November, 1778, " to prevent the return to this State of certain persons therein named, and of others who have left, or shall leave this State, or either of the United States of America, and have joined, or shall join the enemies thereof."]
320
HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
[1759.
Crown-Point by Gen. Amherst, with about two hundred rangers, to destroy the Indian village of St. Francis. After a fatiguing march of twenty-one days, he came within sight of the place, which he discovered from the top of a tree, and halted his Oct. 3.
men at the distance of three miles. In the evening, he entered the village in disguise with two of his officers. The In- dians were engaged in a grand dance, and he passed through them undiscovered. Having formed his men into parties, and posted them to advantage ; he made a general assault, just before day, whilst the Indians were asleep. They were so completely surprised that little resistance could be made. Some were killed in their houses ; and of those who attempted to flee, many were shot or tomahawked by parties placed at the avenues. The dawn of day disclosed a horrid scene ; and an edge was given to the " fury of the assailants by the sight of several hundred sealps of their countrymen, elevated on poles, and waving in the air. 1 This village had been enriched with the plunder of the frontiers and the sale of captives. The houses were well furnished, and the church was adorned with plate. The suddenness of the at- tack, and the fear of a pursuit, did not allow much time for pil- lage ; but the rangers brought off such things as were most con- venient for transportation ; among which were about two hundred guineas in money, a silver image weighing ten pounds, a large quantity of wampum and clothing. Having set fire to the village, Rogers made his retreat up the river St. Francis, intending that his men should rendezvous at the upper Cohos, on Connecticut river. They took with them five English prisoners, whom they found at St. Francis, and about twenty Indians ; but these last they dismissed. Of the rangers, one man only was killed ; and six or seven were wounded. In their retreat, they were pursued, and lost seven men. They kept in a body for about ten days, passing on the eastern side of lake Memphremagog, and then scat- tered. Some found their way to Number-Four, after having suf- fered much by hunger and fatigue. Others perished in the woods, and their bones were found near Connecticut river, by the people, who after several years began plantations at the upper Cohos.
After the taking of Quebec, the remainder of the season was too short to complete the reduction of Canada. The next sum-
mer, General Amherst made preparations to approach 1760. Montreal, by three different routes ; intending, with equal prudence and humanity, to finish the conquest, without the effu- sion of blood. For the service of this year, eight hundred men were raised in New-Hampshire, and put under the command of Colonel John Goffe. They marched, as usual, to Number- Four ; but instead of taking the old route, to Albany, they cut a
(1) New-Hampshire Gazette, No. 165.
321
PROVINCE. BENNING WENTWORTH.
1760.]
road* through the woods, directly toward Crown-Point. In this work, they made such despatch, as to join that part of the July 31. army which Amherst had left at Crown-Point, twelve
days before their embarkation. They proceeded down the lake, under the command of Colonel Haviland. The enemy made some resistance at Isle au Noix, which stopped their pro- Aug. 11. gress for some days, and a few men were lost on both sides.1 But this post being deserted, the forts of St. John and Chamblee became an easy conquest, and finally Montre- al capitulated. This event finished the campaign, and Sept. 8. crowned Amherst with deserved laurels.+
Whilst the New-Hampshire regiment was employed in cutting the new road, signs of hovering Indians were frequently discover- ed, though none were actually seen. But they took the family of Joseph Willard, from Number-Four, and carried them into Mon- treal just before it was invested by the British army.2
The conquest of Canada, gave peace to the frontiers of New- Hampshire, after a turbulent scene of fifteen years ; in which, with very little intermission, they had been distressed by the ene- my. Many captives returned to their homes ; and friends who had long been separated, embraced each other in peace. The joy was heightened by this consideration, that the country of Can- ada, being subdued, could no longer be a source of terror and distress.
The expense of this war, was paid by a paper currency .- Though an act of parliament was passed in 1751, prohibiting the governors, from giving their assent to acts of assembly, made for such a purpose ; yet by a proviso, extraordinary emergencies were excepted. Governor Wentworth was slow to take advan- tage of this proviso, and construed the act in a more rigid sense than others ; but his friend Shirley helped him out of his difficul- ties. In 1755, paper bills were issued under the denomination of new tenor ; of which, fifteen shillings were equal in value to one dollar. Of this currency, the soldiers were promised thirteen pounds ten shillings per month ; but it depreciated so much in the course of the year, that in the muster rolls, their, pay was made
(1) Macclintock's MS. journal. (2) Olcott's MS. letter.
* This new road began at Wentworth's ferry, two miles above the fort at No. 4, and was cut 26 miles ; at the end of which, they found a path, made the year before ; in which they passed over the mountains, to Otter-Creek ; where they found a good road, which led to Crown-Point. Their stores were brought in wagons, as far as the 26 miles extended ; and then transported on horses over the mountains. A drove of cattle for the supply of the army went from No. 4, by this route, to Crown-Point.
t [1760. The towns of Amherst, Peterborough, Hawke, Boscawen, and Bath were incorporated. Peterborough had been settled as early as 1739, by a small number of Scotch Presbyterians. See an account of this town in Farmer and Moore's Collections, i. 129-140. Amherst, Peterborough and Boscawen had many years before been granted by Massachusetts.]
43
322
HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
[1760.
up at fifteen pounds. In 1756, there was another emission from the same plates, and their pay was eighteen pounds. In 1757, it was twenty-five pounds. In 1758, they had twenty-seven shill- ings sterling. In the three succeeding years, they had thirty shillings sterling, besides a bounty at the time of their enlistment, equal to one month's pay.1 At length, sterling money became the standard of all contracts ; and though the paper continued passing as a currency, its value was regulated by the price of silver, and the course of exchange.
It ought to be remembered as a signal favor of divine provi- dence, that during this war, the seasons were fruitful, and the colonies were able to supply their own troops with provisions, and the British fleets and armies with refreshments of every kind 1761. which they needed. No sooner were the operations of the war in the northern colonies closed, than two years of scarcity succeeded; (1761 and 1762) in which the drought of summer was so severe, as to cut short the crops, and render supplies from abroad absolutely necessary. Had this calamity attended any of the preceding years of the war, the distress must have been extreme, both at home and in the camp. During the drought of 1761, a fire raged in the woods, in the towns of Bar- rington and Rochester, and passed over into the county of York, burning with irresistible fury for several weeks, and was not ex- tinguished till a plentiful rain fell, in August. An immense quan- tity of the best timber was destroyed by this conflagration .*
For the succeeding part of the war, a smaller body of men was required to garrison the new conquests ; whilst the British troops 1762. were employed in the West India islands. The success which attended their operations in that quarter, brought the war to a conclusion ; and by the treaty of peace, though many of the conquered places were restored, yet, the whole con- tinent of North-America remained to the British crown, and the . colonies received a reimbursement of their expenses.
The war being closed, a large and valuable tract of country, situated between New-England, New-York and Canada, was secured to the British dominions ; and it became the interest of the governors of both the royal provinces of New-Hampshire and New-York, to vie with each other, in granting this territory and receiving the emoluments arising from this lucrative branch of their respective offices. The seeds of a controversy on this subject had been already sown. During the short peace which
(1) Atkinson's MS. letters.
* [1761. The towns of Campton, Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Goffstown, Grantham, Groton, Hanover, Holderness, Lebanon, Lempster, Lyman, Lyme, Marlow, Newport, Orford, Plainfield and Rumney were incorporated by separate charters.
1762. Wilton, New-Ipswich and New-Durham were incorporated.]
323
PROVINCE. BENNING WENTWORTH.
1762.]
followed the preceding war, Governor Wentworth wrote to Gov- ernor Clinton, that he had it in command from the king, 1749. to grant the unimproved lands within his government ;
that the war had prevented that progress, which he had Nov. 17. hoped for in this business ; but that the peace had induced many people, to apply for grants in the western parts of New-Hamp- shire, which might fall in the neighborhood of New-York.1 He communicated to him a paragraph of his commission, describing the bounds of New-Hampshire, and requested of him a description of the bounds of New-York.2 Before he received any answer to this letter, Wentworth, presuming that New-Hampshire ought to extend as far westward as Massachusetts ; that is, to the distance of twenty miles east from Hudson's river, granted a township, six miles square, called Bennington ; situate twenty-four miles 1750. east of Hudson's river, and six miles north of the line of
Massachusetts. Clinton having laid Wentworth's letter before the council of New-York; by their advice answered him, that the province of New-York was bounded easterly by Connecticut river.3 This claim vas founded on a grant of King Charles the Second ; in which, ' all the land from the west side of Connecti- ' cut river, to the east side of Delaware bay,' was conveyed to his brother James, duke of York ; by whose elevation to the throne, the same tract merged in the crown of England, and descended at the revolution to King William and his successors. The prov- ince of New-York had formerly urged this claim against the colony of Connecticut ; but for prudential reasons had conceded that the bounds of that colony should extend, as far as a line drawn twenty miles east of Hudson's river. The like extent was demanded by Massachusetts ; and, though New-York affected to call this demand ' an intrusion,' and strenuously urged their right to extend eastward to Connecticut river ; yet the original grant of Massa- chusetts, being prior to that of the duke of York, was a barrier which could not easily be broken. These reasons, however, it was said, could be of no avail to the cause of New-Hampshire, whose first limits, as described in Mason's patent, did not reach to Connecticut river ; and whose late extent, by the settlement of the lines in 1741, was no farther westward than ' till it meets with ' the king's other governments.' Though it was agreed, between the two governors, to submit the point in controversy to the king ; yet the governor of New-Hampshire, continued to make grants, on the western side of Connecticut river, till 1754; when 1754. the renewal of hostilities not only put a stop to applications ;
but prevented any determination of the controversy by the crown.
During the war, the continual passing of troops through those lands, caused the value of them to be more generally known ;
(1) Council Minutes. (2) New-York printed Narrative. Appendix, No. 3. (3) New-Hampshire book of Charters.
324
HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
[1754.
and when by the conquest of Canada, tranquillity was restored, they were eagerly sought by adventurers and speculators. Went- worth availed himself of this golden opportunity, and by advice of his council, ordered a survey to be made of Connecticut river for sixty miles, and three lines of townships on each side, to be laid out. As applications increased, the surveys were extend- 1761. ed. Townships of six miles square were granted to va-
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