USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Warren > The history of Warren; a mountain hamlet, located among the White hills of New Hampshire > Part 28
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All day long she wandered on; her little hands full of flowers, hier mind filled with a strange indefiniteness, hoping continually to find her father and mother. But she did not meet them, and no cart tracks, no cow paths, no spots or blazes on the trees were to be seen.
Despairing, at last exhausted, her feet scratched and bleeding by the underbrush, she sank down on the thick moss by the great rock that stands by the old beaver meadow, at the foot of the Cas- cades on Berry brook. "It is night now. Darkness has come
325
A STRANGE BEDFELLOW.
down on the woods. She is alone. The wind is heard on the mountain. The torrent pours down the rocks. No hut receives her from the rain, alone in the thick woods of the valley. Rise moon from behind thy clouds. Stars of the night arise. Give light to her, sitting alone by the rock of the mossy stream."
Something is coming. She hears a strange sound; the under- brush is crackling, a black form appears in the darkness. Fright- ened the tears roll down her cheeks. It is a great shaggy black bear. He came close to her, smelt of her face and hands, and licked the blood from her feet. She was no more afraid of him than of her own great dog at home, and dared to stroke his long, brown nose, and put her arm about his neck. Then he lay down beside her, she placed her head upon his shoulder and alone in the thick woods, with the dark clouds of the sky for a covering, she was quickly asleep .*
Two days afterwards the foot prints of the child and the bear were found in the sand and mud of the brook.
None slept in John Whitcher's house during the long hours of that terrible night. The father was out in the woods, the children sat down with woe pictured on their faces, while the mother would not suffer a door or a window to be closed, but listened to every sound, and started at every leaf.
In the morning, the exciting rumor of "John Whitcher's child lost and supposed to have perished in the woods," seemed to speed itself, on the wings of the wind, sounding along the borders of Beech hill, startling the wild solitudes of the East-parte region, arousing the rugged yeomanry of the Height-o'-land, the brave boys of Runaway pond and Patchbreuckland, charging them all to pack up their dinners and hurry away to the search in the woods.
In an incredible short time all the dwellers in the hamlet were moving towards Pine hill. Col. Obadiah Clement left his oxen yoked, mounted his horse and galloped swift away up the bridle path, passing Jonathan Clement and 'Squire Copp, with their sons, who, leaving their hoeing, were hastening in the same direction with tin dinner horns in their hands. Joshua Merrill, Joseph Mer- rill, Stevens Merrill, and 'Squire Jonathan, seized their axes and
* Sarah Whitcher's, otherwise Mrs. Dick French's, own statement.
326
HISTORY OF WARREN.
ran. Joseph Patch, with his long barrelled gun, and his neigh- bors, came up at a rapid pace, and a little later in the day, Lunds, Clarks, and Tarletons came over the mountain.
All day long they hunted. Col. Clement and his friends went down through the maples to Black brook, and Kelly pond, then climbed up by Oak falls, and beat the woods as far as Wachipauka pond under Webster slide. 'Squire Copp blew a loud blast with his horn on the shore. "No response came from the far glimmer- ing passionate sound but its own empty echo," hurled back from the mountain face.
Stevens Merrill and others, with Joseph Patch crossed Berry brook and went through the darkest forest to the very foot of Moosehillock mountain.
Chase Whitcher, Stephen Richardson, and a host of others hunted along the bridle path, and then explored the Oliverian up what is at present High street, as far as the dark passes on either side of Black mountain. . The women and children hunted for long hours, but in vain.
The night came, and one after another the parties returned empty from the search. Despair seemed to have taken possession of the grief-stricken parents, and a feeling of sadness pervaded the whole settlement.
On Tuesday morning the entire town renewed the search. As the day wore away, people began to arrive from the neighboring lands. They came from Wentworth and Romney, from Orford, Piermont, Haverhill, and Newbury. At night, one of the last men to come in, reported that he had found the track of a child and of a bear on Berry brook. "She is torn in pieces !" " She is eaten up!" every one said, and Mrs. Whitcher was nearly frantic.
The next day they searched on the Summit, going over the ground thoroughly ; but night brought no success. " She is hope- lessly lost." " She will never be found." Yet at the earnest request of the agonized mother they promised to continue the search one day more.
Thursday the woods were alive with the people hunting. The long hours slowly wore away, when about noon a Mr. Heath who had walked the whole distance from Plymouth, came to the house. Mrs. Stephen Richardson who was cooking a bushel of beans for
327
THE LOST FOUND- A SINGULAR DREAM.
the people's supper, and Mrs. Obadiah Clement, were alone at John Whitcher's. Mrs. Whitcher was still searching in the woods.
" Give me some dinner," said Mr. Heath, " then show me the bridle-path to the north, and I will find the child." While he was eating, he stated how he heard last evening that little Sarah Whitcher was lost, and that three times in the night, he dreamed that he found her lying under a great pine top, a few rods-to the south-east of the spot where the path crossed Berry brook, guarded by a bear .*
The women smiled, but partly believed it might be so, for people had different notions then from what they entertain now. Some believed in witches, ghosts, and goblins, and all had a certain kind of faith in dreams; at any rate the women wished his dream might prove true; they felt so sad at the loss of the child; they wished so much it might be found.
Just then Joseph Patch came into the clearing, heard Mr. Heath's story, and said he would accompany him.
An hour went by ; the sun was going down on the last after- noon of the search, which would be given up that night, and every one felt that little Sarah was lost forever.
Suddenly a gun was heard; every soul in the clearings and the woods listened. Another report, then another. It is the agreed signal of success. "Thank God! the child is found." "Is it dead or alive?"
They found her just where Mr. Heath said they would; but no bear was to be seen. When she woke up, she said, " I want to go to mother. Carry me to mother." When asked if she had seen any one, she said " a great black dog stopped with her every night."}
Joseph Patch took up the half famished child in his arms and carried her home. On the bridle-path they met many people, and they ran before, hurrahing, waving their hats and green boughs to tell the good news, how all on account of a wonderful dream the child was found alive. Some said the bear guided her to the path.
* Samuel Merrill, who resided at the East-parte, and lived to be 84 years old, often told about the lost child. He believed in Mr. Heath's dream as much as in his own existence. There were hundreds of people in Warren of the last genera- tion who believed implicitly in Mr. Heath's dream.
t Nathaniel Richardson's statement.
328
HISTORY OF WARREN.
Mrs. Whitcher was so overjoyed that she fainted. Mr. Whitcher could not say a word, but smoked his pipe as hard as he could, to keep his feelings down, and the rest of the children were so glad that they cried and laughed by turns.
Tradition has it that the Rev. Mr. Powers was present and offered a prayer of thanksgiving, and then all the people sang Old Hundred. However that may be, we know that they ate all the baked beans * that Mrs. Richardson had prepared, and everything else they could find cooked on Pine hill. Then they blew their tin horns as though the 4th of July had come; shouted and hurrahed again and again, while those who had guns fired volley after volley till all the powder in the settlement was burned, so much did they rejoice that the lost child was found.
* Nathaniel Richardson, son of Stephen Richardson, also gave many incidents about the search, and told of the beans.
CHAPTER VIII.
OF A MIGHTY BATTLE FOUGHT BETWEEN TWO AMBITIOUS OFFICE SEEKERS, AND HOW EACH GAINED THE VICTORY MUCH TO HIS GREAT DELIGHT.
AT the organization of our little democracy, Warren, Col. Obadiah Clement, being in sympathy with the government, imme- diately took the lead in town affairs, and held it for several years. But when the war was over, others began to aspire for the honors of place and position, and naturally envied the Colonel. The most prominent of the aspirants was 'Squire Jonathan Merrill. For five years he had sought office, but in vain, for Obadiah Clement knew well how to kill him off - only having to tell what a tory he was in war times, to sink him out of sight in every election.
But this would not last always, and 'Squire Jonathan, who as we said before, was as cunning as a fox, went shrewdly to work to beat the Colonel and gain the honors of office. "I'll fix him," said he. "I'll make him hate the town, and the town will then hate him." This is the way he did it:
Colonel Clement had a bill against the hamlet for services. It was for a journey to Exeter to get the town incorporated; for drafting and notifying " Grand Jurors," and for recording in the town books. In all it amounted to nine pounds eleven shilling's. and three pence.
'Squire Jonathan heard of it and slyly whispered round telling every body in a confidential way that it was too large; that the
330
HISTORY OF WARREN.
town was too poor to pay it. In other words, he appealed to the avarice of the people most effectually.
Col. C. was first in the mighty triumvirate of town governors for that political year, 1785-'6, and it was the third year of his selectmenship .* Likewise he was and had been for the last six years, the great scribe or mighty town clerk, and having been ambassador or Representative to the Great and General Court, and also a high commander in the military forces, he naturally felt himself to be the most important man in the hamlet.
'Squire Jonathan labored with Col. Clement's associates in power, and they being near relatives to the 'Squire, the first the father, and the second the brother-in-law, he succeeded most effec- tually in making them think the same as he did about the bill.
So when the day of settlement of town matters came, they refused to allow the Colonel's account. The latter labored with his associates sometime, but with no effect, for he had two stub- born men to deal with; and then when he could not succeed, parted from them in a huff; in other words he was exceedingly wroth. "Pay, you must," said he. "Pay, we won't," said they ; and so the matter waxed worse and worse.
This was what the cunning 'Squire wanted. He was pleased, · and openly expressed his delight. Col. C. heard of his adversary's remarks, and his anger was fiercer than ever.
One more effort was made, one more meeting was held, but with no better success than before.
The Colonel had all the town books, both the selectmen's and the clerk's, and he was determined to hold them until he should get his pay. If he could not have his rights, he would make a storm in the political sky. He would hold on to all the records and prevent an assembly of the people. If he could not rule, no one else should.
'Squire Jonathan made a few more aggravating remarks, and the storm burst. When asked to call a meeting on the Ides of March, Col. C. raged, stamped his foot, and then with a look of fierce determination, cried, " Pause !" and there was a pause. The wheels of government in our mountain hamlet stopped. The proud ship of State no longer sailed on. She was foundered on
* Stevens Merrill and Joseph Patch were the other Selectmen.
331
AN INTERREGNUM.
the rocks of that discord to which 'Squire Merrill had so cunningly directed her. The waves of destruction beat over her, threatening to rend her in pieces.
And now occurred an interregnum* similar to those which hap- pened in the early days of the mighty Roman Empire. There were no powerful rulers, no great scribe, no superintendent of the public roads, no gatherer of the revenue, and no taxes. Every thing seemed to have returned as it was at the time when the revolutionary war was raging.
What should be done? It was a great question, powerfully discussed by those interested, but months went by and no action was taken.
At last the matter was brought to the attention of the Great and General Court, and the Legislature took the question in hand.
The great mother of towns could not see any of her children commit suicide. So after a long time spent in solemn considera- tion, a resolution was framed and passed, going through both houses of the legislature the same day, June 24th, 1786, whereby Absalom Peters, the barefooted military captain who marched at the head of six companies, to the Coos intervals, was empowered to call an assembly in Warren, for the choice of town officers, and preside therein during the whole election. t
But the wise legislature forgot one thing, taxes, and had to pass another resolve, Sept. 24, in order that the State might get her share of the revenue.
A. Peters called the meeting, and presided therein in the most proper manner .; But the spirit of the citizens ran high. They marshaled around their leaders, and fought for victory. Each side marched up to the ballot box in solid column. On counting the votes, it was found that Obadiah Clement and his friends had won every time; electing Joshua Copp, Stephen Richardson, and Wil- liam Butler, great rulers or selectmen, Joshua Copp, scribe or clerk, and Jonathan Clement, conservator of the peace or consta- ble. 'Squire Jonathan Tand his friends felt cheap enough, and
* It happened in 1786.
t Town Clerk's Records, Vol. i. 21.
# The meeting was held July 19, 1786.
1
332
HISTORY .OF WARREN.
silently went home .* But Jonathan Merrill did not give up even in the hour of his seeming defeat. He went to work twice as hard as ever. So persistently did he talk upon the subject of Col. Clem- ent's bill, that even the new selectmen, the Colonel's friends, did not dare to pay it, for fear they should be indicted for mis-spend- ing the people's money, and the Colonel was more enraged than ever.
This was just what the 'Squire wanted, and although he was defeatedagain at the annual election in 1787, still he managed to have a meeting called July 27th of that year, and succeeded in getting himself, with Joshua Merrill and Lieut. Ephraim True, appointed a committee to settle with Mr. Clement, and procure from him all the town records. That every thing might seem fair, it was " Voted, that a settlement might be made, if it could be done consistently with justice." The meeting was then adjourned to August 6, to hear the report of the committee.
'Squire Jonathan went to work as slick as "ile." But he did not get a settlement; he did not want to.
At the adjourned meeting he reported as follows: First, not to allow anything for going down to get the town incorporated ; and -
Second, to pay eighteen pence for legally drafting and notify- ing jurors.
But they knew Col. C. would not accept this, and so they chose Stevens Merrill and Lieut. Ephraim True a committee to settle with him, or to follow suit or suits at law, if he commence one or more against the town, to final end and execution. "Now we will teach him how it is done," said 'Squire Jonathan. Col. C. heard of the remark, and how mad he was.
By chance they met. One to have seen them would have said " surely they do love each other." Determination seated itself on their countenances. Rage flashed from their eyes. "You miser- able tory," growled Col. C. "You old thief and extortioner," hissed 'Squire M. through his teeth. Then Col. C. shook his cane threateningly. 'Squire. M. doubled his fists belligerently. And now grim visaged war smiled approvingly, and Saultenbattery,
* Old men used to say that it was the toughest fight they ever saw at town meeting.
333
AN IMPENDING CONFLICT.
one of the ancient goddesses, grinned with malignant satisfaction.
Blows would have fallen swift, and the battle waxed hot had not Stevens Merrill, the man of iron firmness, and Joshua Copp, who had been watching the impending conflict, interfered and said, " Gentlemen, thee must stop, thee can't fight in this town." .
This rencountre only made matters worse. But the Colonel did not plunge heels over head into lawsuits. He had more shrewdness than that; he quietly went to work and induced some one else to get up some pleasant little suits against the town; to wit, he got all the public highways indicted, and thus raised the d-1 generally .*
With so much avidity did the Colonel prosecute his schemes, so many suits did he institute, that the town was perfectly sick, and was glad to cry, hold, enough. At a regular town meeting, it was " Voted to dismiss the committee appointed to fight Col. C., and that Captain William Butler and Joshua Copp, friends of the . Colonel, take the certificate that is in the selectmen's hands, and lay it out discretionary if wanted in carrying on the lawsuits com- menced against said town for the repairing of roads, and to pay Col. Clement's demands on said town." Thus they were going to come a flank movement on road suits, by making friends with the · prime mover of them.t
This ended the war, and Col. Obadiah, in one sense, gained the victory. But it accomplished all that 'Squire Jonathan desired. It made Mr. Clement exceedingly unpopular, and he never could get elected to any office of consequence again; the only one he ever held afterwards being that of moderator at some special meeting.
* Nov. 27, 1790 .- " Voted to pass over the 4th article in the warning, which was to see what the town will do on account of being presented." -- Town Clerks' Re- cords, Vol. i. 43.
t Allowed constable Copp fifteen pounds sixteen shillings, new emission, it being for three pounds nineteen shillings silver money, which said Copp paid Oba- diah Clement that was due to him from the town.
JOSHUA MERRILL,
Selectmen. WILLIAM BUTLER,
-Selectmen's Records, Vol. i.
" May 10, 1791 .- Voted that Capt. William Butler and Joshua Copp should take the certificate that is in the selectmen's hands, and lay it out discretionary if want- ing in carrying on the lawsuits commenced against said town, and to pay Obadiah Clement's demand on said town."-Town Clerk's Records, Vol. i. 45.
Names of the legal voters who had come into town from 1782 to 1788, inclusive :
Nathaniel Clough. Samuel Knight. John Stone.
Caleb Homan. Levi Lufkin. Elisha Swett.
Enoch Homan.
Stephen Lund. Aaron Welch.
Nathaniel Knight.
Stephen Richardson.
334
HISTORY OF WARREN.
Yet this contest was prolific of mighty results. From it sprang two great parties, the Clement party, and the Merrill party, that fought each other with powerful tenacity for more than two generations. When the sons of Joseph Patch became voters, a third party sprung up that achieved some success, and was called the Patch party. It frequently held the balance of power.
'Squire Jonathan was now able to succeed, and by striving, in the course of years, held all the important offices in the gift of the people, although Col. Clement at the head of the Clement party often said that he frequently had the pleasure of giving the 'Squire and his friends a sound drubbing at the polls.
CHAPTER IX.
CONCERNING A GREAT BOUNDARY FEUD, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
AND now when the wilderness blossoms like a rose and good settling lands begin to be of some consequence, the proprietors of the grants made in Provincial times under Gov. Benning Went- worth, having many of them survived the Revolution, commenced to bestir themselves and look sharp after their interests. Mighty boundary feuds began to arise, for neighboring peoples set on by their patrons the proprietors, did not always observe the old max- im of " cursed be he who removeth his neighbors' land-marks," and the citizens of Warren found that their friends across the fron- tiers began to show an inclination to trespass on their fertile pos- sessions.
In fact they had some excuse for so doing, for in laying out the townships, in 1760 and in 1761, "the surveyor of the King's woods," employed by the Governor, had not been very careful to make the lines of townships correspond. Consequently settlers upon them did not know exactly where the lines were, nor in what town they lived, and so did not scruple to conduct themselves in rather a lawless manner.
In a short time, great complaints began to arise, and the town of Warren thus finding herself encroached upon, by means of the selectmen, mighty rulers, and the lordly proprietors, who of course took a lively interest in the matter, immediately entered into negotiations with the neighboring powers round about. It is a tradition often related that by dint of numerous diplomatic mis-
336
HISTORY OF WARREN.
sions a meeting of many of the town proprietors and numerous boards of selectmen was held at Plymouth, about 1778.
It was a jolly old meeting. They treated themselves on grog, and swallowed all the various kinds of liquors mixed in those days, and then, when pretty well fired up, proceeded to business. A chairman and clerk were chosen, and then charters, surveys, and
HAVERHILL.
Mo
AMOUNTAIN.
PEELING
COVENTRY.
WACHIPAUKA P.
INDIAN TRAIL
WARREN
PIERMONT.
S
SOME MACHUMAUKE HIVES
GLEN. PONDS
TRECOTHICK
ORFORD.
WENTWORTH.
ROMNEY.
OLD BOUNDARY LINES.
plans of townships, were produced. Each delegation had a speaker of its own and wanted to be heard first, and cried out, our lines run so and so, our charter says so and so, our lots are located so and so, and so on, ad infinitum. The chairman called to order, but it was no use. Confusion, a goddess, got confused. Babel seemed to have arrived, and when all was clatter-and-bang, the meeting broke up'in the most dignified and wonderful manner.
337
THE LEGISLATURE INTERFERES.
But it is a historical fact, on record, that the delegates went home and considered. Some of the wiser ones drew up a petition to the legislature, to have a committee appointed to settle the boundaries, and circulated it. It was extensively signed, and when presented to the Great and General Court, that body immediately acted, and appointed a committee for that purpose .*
Said committee were nearly four years performing their duties, and they had numerous meetings at which many boards of select- men and proprietors' committees appeared. They also employed several surveyors to run the lines and set up the bounds, and only made their report to the Legislature, Sept. 24, 1784, which report was approved and the bounds thus established.t
Strange work the Court's committee as they were called, made with our young and vigorous township. They actually pushed it up a considerable distance to the north and east. Think of it. A whole township moved. Piermont and Wentworth on the west and south, got large slices of territory. But Warren got more- clipping of large portions of old Coventry, Peeling, and Treco- thick. But Warren gained no settlers. Wentworth and Piermont did. Warren lost on the west, Isaiah Batchelder and Thomas Clark, and on the south, Simeon Smith, Peter Stevens, Joseph Kimball, and Lemuel Keezer. Besides it lost of unsettled land four lots into Coventry, eight into Wentworth, and fifteen into Piermont. The four taken by Coventry were on the north-west corner; but Warren got far more land from Coventry on the north- east boundary than it lost.
And now that the lines were changed, the losses and gains must be settled. This was not easily done, and a war about pay- ments arose hot and earnest. Blows did not come for they feared
* The Committee was appointed by an act of the Legislature passed Oct. 23, 1780, and it consisted of Ebenezer Thompson, Joseph Badger, Ebenezer Smith, Levi Dearborn, and John Smith, Esquires, and they, or the major part of them, were authorized to survey Romney, Wentworth, Warren, Plymouth, Campton, Piermont, and Orford.
t BOUNDS OF WARREN.
" Warren .- Beginning at a bass tree, being the north-west corner bound of Romney, thence north, 24 degrees east five and three-fourths miles to a maple tree; thence north about 74 degrees west, eight miles to a beech tree, being the south-east corner of Haverhill; thence 5} degrees west, five and one-half miles to a beech tree, the north-east corner of Orford, thence on a straight line to the bound began at."
These are supposed to be the present boundaries of Warren,
V
338
HISTORY OF WARREN.
the great central power, the mother of towns; but litigation, such as the old Greeks loved so well, was rife. Warren did not resort to it, but entered into negotiations with the far lands of Went- worth, Piermont, and Orford.
Meeting after meeting was held by the proprietors to settle up the difficulties. Committees without number tried their hand at the matter. The first chosen June 17, 1785, consisted of Enoch Page, from down country, and our citizen, Captain William But- ler; but they did not accomplish anything. Then Major Joseph Page, another down country gentleman, was associated with Capt. Butler. They went into a minute investigation of the whole mat- ter, and made a full report, much to the satisfaction of the proprie- tors. Oct. 20, 1786, Capt. William Hackett was chosen a committee to settle with Gen. Moulton, agent for the Proprietors of Piermont, on account of land given to Messrs. Batchelder and Clark. But he did not succeed, and afterward Major Joseph Page, by order of Warren Proprietors, laid out two hundred acres on Green moun- tain, now called Sentinel mountain, to satisfy the claims of our western power .*
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