History of the original town of Concord : being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins, and Sardinia, Erie County, New York, Part 59

Author: Briggs, Erasmus
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Rochester, N.Y. : Union and Advertiser Co.'s Print.
Number of Pages: 1004


USA > New York > Erie County > Sardinia > History of the original town of Concord : being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins, and Sardinia, Erie County, New York > Part 59
USA > New York > Erie County > Collins > History of the original town of Concord : being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins, and Sardinia, Erie County, New York > Part 59
USA > New York > Erie County > Concord > History of the original town of Concord : being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins, and Sardinia, Erie County, New York > Part 59


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77


Organized June 20, 1881. Charter members, sixteen ; pres- ent membership, thirty-three. Original officers :


A. Hilliker, Commander ; E. S. Hibbard, S. V. C .; Harvey Smith, J. V. C .; Andrew Bearly, Adjutant ; M. M. Sperry, Ser- geant ; Isaac E. Stedwell. Chaplain ; Charles Beach, O. D .; John Robinson, O. G .; E. J. Foster, S. M .; George Davis,. Q. M. S .; Peter Bowers, Guard.


INDEPENDENT ORDER OF GOOD TEMPLARS, MC KILLOP LODGE, NO. 516.


Organized June 29, 1882. Charter members, thirteen ; pres- ent membership, thirty-two. Original officers :


A. W. Franklin, W. C. T .; Ida Ensign, W. V. T .; Miss M. Van Epps, W. C .; W. W. Ransom, W. S. E. C .; Hattie E. Burnham, W. A. S .; Herbert I. Burnham, W. T. S .; Eva Estes, W. Treasurer ; Cortney Brown, W. M .; Fanny Franklin, W. D. N .; Santford Bundy, W. I. G .; May Stanclift, W. O. G .; Jennie Stanclift, W. R. H. S .; Lottie Rankin, W. L. H. S.


I. O. OF G. T., LAWTON LODGE, NO. 519.


Organized July 1, 1872. Charter members, thirty-eight. Original officers :


Leroy Sherman, W. C. T .; Gladry Lawton, W. V. T .; Lucy Sherman, W. S .; G. O. Dillingham, W. F .; George Burgott, W. F. S .; George Taylor, W. C .; Fred Willett, W: M .; Fred Stage, W. S .; Marion Taylor, W. G .; Helen Sherman, W. A. S .; Mrs. Carl Willit, W. D. M .; Florence Lawton, W. R. S .;


·


733


NORTH COLLINS SOLDIERS' RECORD.


Eunice Palmerton, W. S. S .; Duran A. Palmerton, P. W. C. T .; Willie Lawton, L. D.


C. M. B. A., MARTINS BRANCH, NO. 35.


Organized May 25, 1879. Charter members, thirteen. Origi- nal officers were :-


Jacob Staffen, President ; Paul Bantle, first Vice-President ; John Smith, second Vice-President ; George A. Sipple, Record- ing Secretary ; John Junker, Assistant Recording Secretary ; Peter Hearye, Treasurer. Lewis Andres, Marshal; George Schneider, Guard ; Fred Rider, Charles Thiel, Frank Johengen, Michael Hoepfinger and Frank Menges, Trustees.


NORTH COLLINS SOLDIERS' RECORD.


The following is believed to be a nearly correct list of those from North Collins who served in the war of the Rebellion. Some names have perhaps been unavoidably omitted.


North Collins was represented in thirty different regiments. More than half her soldiers, however, were in the following regiments :---


Tenth New York cavalry, One Hundred and Sixteenth New York volunteers, Forty-fourth (People's Ellsworth), Forty- ninth New York volunteers, and the Sixty-fourth New York volunteers.


Of the gallant service which her soldier boys performed as members of these regiments it is needless to recount, as they have been well portrayed in regimental histories and other works, and form a permanent part of the brave and patri- otic decds of the War. Doubtless the same may be said of the various other regiments, some of which had but a single repre- sentative from the town.


" Up many a fortress wall They charged ; those Boys in Blue ; 'Mid surging smoke and volleyed ball, The bravest were the first to fall, To fall for me and you."


But what of those that fell ?


"On Fame's eternal camping ground, Their silent tents are spread ; And glory guards with solemn sound The bivouac of the dead."


734


NORTHI COLLINS SOLDIERS' RECORD.


NOTE .- A star placed opposite the name indicates death in the service, and the person's name will be found at the close in a list of the dead.


Allen, Daniel, Sergt. 64th N. Y. V. *Baker, Samuel K., Ioth N. Y. Cav.


Barring, George, Corp. Ist Reg. N. Y. S. sharp shooters, 8th Co.


Burleigh, Andrew, 116 N. Y. V., Co. A.


Bar, Joseph P., " 900th Scott Cav."


Brim, Adam, 116th N. Y. V.


Blakeley, Sylvester N., 116th N. Y. N.


Bettinger, Nicholas, 2d Mounted Rifles.


#Bennett, Ferdinand, 44th N. Y. V., Co. A.


Brown, John S., 9th N. Y. Cav.


Brown, David H., 9th N. Y. Cav.


Buckmer, Henry, 155th N. Y. V.


Beaver, Henry, 24th N. Y. Cav.


Ballard, Joseph, 49th Battery.


Ballard, Sebastian, 187th N. Y. V. *Cook, John, 116th N. Y. V.


Cook, Adam, U. S. V. Army.


Conger, George D., Corp. 44th N. Y. V.


Clend, Ebenezer R., 100th N. Y. V.


Clark, William, Artillery.


Cooper, John 100th N. Y. V. Curtis, Charles H., 160th N. Y. V.


Doanc, William, roth N. Y. Cav.


Davis, George H., 116th N. Y. V., Co. K.


Day, Nelson V., 160th N. Y. V.


Deyre, Henry, 160th N. Y. V.


Demerly, Charles, 33d Battery.


Dean, George. Fisher, Jacob, 28th N. Y. V.


Foster, Oscar E., 2d Mounted Rifles.


Fuller, Frank, 116th N. Y. V.


Farnswick, William K., 10th N. Y. Cav.


Cuyger, Lawrence, 44th N. Y. V.


Gearnie, Matthias, U. S. V. Army, Light Artillery. Gray, William F., 72d Reg. (Excelsior Brigade). "Harmatinger, John, 116th N. Y. V.


735


NORTH COLLINS SOLDIERS' RECORD.


Holcomb, Franklin, 10th N. Y. Cav. Hinman, Byron C., 13th N. Y. V. Huzzy, James, Ioth N. Y. Cav. Hibbard, Enos S., Sergt. 10th N. Y. Cav., Co. D. Heltmer, Jacob, Jr., "900th Scott Cav." Heltmyer, John, Corp. 97th Reg. Harmon, Godfrey, 21st N. Y. V. Hanson, John, U. S. Artillery. Hanes, William H. H., 160th N. Y. V. *Haberer, George, 33d Battery. Hanes, Clements, 15th Artillery. Hosford, Hiram 116th N. Y. V. Jennings, Asa C., 44th N. Y. V. Johnson, John B., 155th N. Y. V. Konklin, John C., 100th N. Y. V. *Leach, Stephen H., 10th N. Y. Cav. Co. E. Lynde, Thodore. Lynde, Myron, 116th N. Y. V. Laveter, Stephen W. Lollman, Nicholas, 27th Light Battery.


Lighe, Charles, 160th N. Y. V. McCarty, Michael, 16th U. S. Cav. Miller, John, 160th N. Y. V. Madison, John, 160th N. Y. V. O'Connor, Patrick, 160th N. Y. V. O'Brian, Daniel, 160th N. Y. V. Prince, Leonard, Ioth N. Y. V. Parker, Harrison, 44th N. Y. V.


Pfleger, John, 10th N. Y. Cav. Co. E. *Palmer, Thomas, 64th N. Y. V. Pratt, Samuel W., 64th N. Y. V. Petrie, George, 19th U. S. Cav. Robinson, John, 83d Pa. Reg. Ross, William, Corp. 116th N. Y. V. Rogers, Samuel S., 10th N. Y. Cav. Rogers, Jacob W., 10th N. Y. Cav. Rogers, William A., Sergt. 44th N. Y. V., Co. A. Russell, Isaac H., 44th N. Y. V., Co. A. Roeller, Milton.


736


NORTH COLLINS SOLDIERS' RECORD.


Randall, Byron, "Sidnay's Reg."


Randall, Harry, "Sidnay's Reg." *Rogers, Jerome B., 10th N. Y. Cav. Ritter, Francis, 49th N. Y. Inf. Sherman, Job B., 116th N. Y. V., Co. K. *Smith, Chester, 44th N. Y. V. Smith, Egbert, Corp, 116th N. Y. V., Co. A.


Staffin, Peter, 44th N. Y. V. Staffin, Jacob, goth N. Y. V. Smith, Marcus, 10th N. Y. Cav.


*Smith. Philip, U. S. V. Navy. Smith, William, 160th N. Y. V. Stimpson, John, 160th N. Y. V. Soloman, James, 160th N. Y. V.


Skinner, Nelson S., 12th N. Y. V.


Stanclift, Edwin J., 10th N. Y. Cav., Co. E.


Smith, Henry C., 44th N. Y. V., Co. A.


Secrist, Jacob, 97th Reg. Smith, Augustin, 27th Battery.


*Shaller, Joseph, 15th Artillery. Saunders, James.


Taylor, John, 19th U. S. Cav.


Terhams, Gilliam, 12th N. Y. V.


Uhls, Silfrey, 10th N. Y. Cav.


Uhls, Frank, roth N. Y. Cav.


Wysinger, David, Corp. 116th N. Y. V., Co. K. Willett, Homer B., 116th N. V. V., Co. A.


*Whittemore, Horatio G., 116th N. Y. V. Wolf, Frank, 116th N. Y. V.


Wolf, Andrew, 116th N. Y. V.


Walker, John, 94th N. Y. V. West, Francis, 49th N. Y. V.


Warner, Reuben, 9th N. Y. Cav. Wood, Charles, 100th N. Y. V. Way, Elijah, 160th N. Y. V. *Winter, John, "900th Scott Cav." Zahm, Jacob, U. S. V. army.


737


NORTH COLLINS SOLDIER'S RECORD.


LIST OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLED OR DIED IN THE SERVICE.


Baker, Samuel K., shot in the head and killed at the battle of the Wilderness.


Bennett, Ferdinand, killed by the bursting of a shell at the battle of the Wilderness.


Cook. John, shot in the head and killed at the battle of Win- chester.


Harmatinger, John, died in the hospital at Morgans, La.


Haberer, George, died in the hospital near New York, Oct. 30, 1864.


Leach, Stephen H., died of starvation at Andersonville prison.


Palmer, Thomas P., died in New York of wounds received at Fair Oaks.


Rogers, Jerome B., died at home Nov. 15, 1863.


Smith, Chester, killed July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg.


Smith, Philip, died in the hospital at the Portsmouth navy yard.


Shaller, Joseph, died at home Jan. 18, 1865, of wounds re- ceived at Petersburg.


Whittemore, Horatio B, died at Baton Rouge.


FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF NORTH COLLINS.


The society was organized June 11, 1818. The original members consisted of John Stanclift, Sr., a Revolutionary sol- dier, his sons Timothy, John, Jr., Willard, Jesse, and Sarah, Lucy, Mary and Phebe Stanclift. Being the first church soci- ety organized in township seven, range eight, it received a gift of one hundred acres of land from the Holland Land company. The land now comprises a part of the farm of Edward Stan clift. The first mention on the records of preaching to the society was by Rev. John Spencer. No mention is made of any other minister until 1826, when the names of Rev. Lot Sullivan, Rev. Bawlden and Rev. Hiram Smith appear. The church never had a regular installed pastor. The society was reorganized Jan. 4, 1881. The present church edifice was built in 1844, Daniel Van Arnem being the builder.


738


THE SOUTHWICK FAMILY.


Job Southwick's Statement.


I was born in Queensbury, Washington county, N. Y., Feb. 12, 1796. My father's name was George and my mother's maiden name was Lydia Sargent ; they were natives of Smith- field, R. I.


I came to North Collins in March, 1811. Enos Southwick, Abram Tucker and Stephen Sisson came in May or June, 1810, and settled near Lawton Station. Nathaniel Sisson, brother of Stephen Sisson, settled here in the Fall of 1810. I and my brother Jonathan came in March, 1811. I was fifteen years of age at that time; we were on the road twenty-eight days ; came with an ox team ; from Buffalo we followed up the beach of the lake to the mouth of the Cattaraugus creek, and from there we came to Taylor's Hollow.


When we first came to North Collins the nearest mill was at White's Corners ; we went there to mill generally with oxen and sled ; there were no roads and we had to follow Indian trails. At one time I carried a small grist for each of nine dif- ferent families.


Abram Tucker, Stephen Sisson, Nathaniel Sisson and Enos Southwick were all the white inhabitants in North Collins in 1810. The settlers who had located in North Collins up to and including 1812 were Stephen Sisson, Nathaniel Sisson, Abram Tucker, Samuel Tucker, Moses Tucker, Enos South- wick, Jonathan Southwick, George Southwick, Jr., James Tyrer, Luther Tyrer, John Strang, Stephen White, Stephen Twining, Noah Tripp, Hugh McMillen, Levi Woodward, Syl- venus Bates and myself.


One time all of us about or near Lawton Station went over to Springville to town meeting on foot ; we went up the Gen- esee road by Woodward's Hollow, and over Townsend hill ; when we came back a dozen or more of us stopped at Cooper's, stayed all night and slept on the floor. Once we had the town meeting at Taylor's Hollow ; the town was twenty-four miles long, east and west.


I have known wheat to be sold at Taylor's mill at Taylor Hollow for twenty-five cents per bushel.


The Friends (or Quakers) would not voluntarily pay taxes for war purposes ; some of them would leave money lying on


739


THE SOUTHWICK FAMILY.


the mantel shelf or some other place where the Collector could get it ; others would let their property be levied upon. When Harry Sears was Collector, he took a nice yearling colt of mine up to Springville and sold it for $12 ; my tax was four dollars which he took and returned me cight dollars.


I settled on lot forty-three in North Collins, and remained there till 1826, when we moved here where we now live.


Father died in North Collins in 1824, and mother in 1845. My oldest sister, Grace, married John Bragg, and died in Au- rora. George married Jane Bowson ; he settled in the Town of Collins : then sold out and went to Meadville, Pa., where he died. Royal married Christina Langdon ; lived in North Col- lins: sold out, went to Wales and died there. Lydia S. mar- ried Hugh McMillen; lived in North Collins, where he died, but she died in lowa. Jonathan married Martha Irish, and they both died in North Collins. Enos married Pauline Bar- ker; they both died in Gowanda. Hannah married Levi Woodward: she died in Illinois ; he died in Concord.


Job Southwick married Sophia Smith at Tub Town, in Col- lins, in 1816; she is dead ; he lives in the north-east corner of Brant. Mr. Southwick has been Highway Commissioner in the Town of Evans, and Supervisor of the Town of Brant. His children were :


Phebe, born in 1817; married Walter Kimball, lives in Brant. Richard, born in 1819 married Amelia Pound ; lives in Eden. Wheeler B., born in 1821 ; married Sarah Stafford ; died in 1864 in the army. Edmond Z., born in 1823 ; married Mari- etta Clough ; lives in Evans. Priscilla, born in 1825 ; married Thomas Brunell; died in 1855. Josiah H., born in 1828 : Huldah Ann Hawley; lives in Evans. Sophia, born in 1835. Stephen, lives in Evans. Job, Jr., born in 1837: married Phebe A. Smith : lives in Brant.


Job Southwick, Jr., attended school at Westfield academy. He was Deputy clerk under Remington, and was elected Mem- ber of Assembly from the fifth assembly district in 1881. His children are :


Grace, born in November, 1865. Georgiana, born in June, 1857. Lynn, born in October, 1875.


Job Southwick, Sr., died in 1882.


740


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


Statement of Isaac A. Hale.


My parents came from Connecticut to York state. I was born in 1803, in the Town of Schoharie, Schoharie county, N. Y. My mother died when I was but three years old; there were four in the family that were not able to take care of themselves. My father broke up house-keeping-the children that were old enough took care of themselves; father bound one brother to a man by the name of Furguson, two he gave away to two of his neighbors, and I went from place to place for two years, then went to live with a man by the name of Lamb, a hatter. They were a couple of old people, conse- quently I was their pet. The old lady was a weakly woman and I worked in the house part of the time and part of the time in the shop and doing chores; lived there for three years when the old lady was taken sick and died; then Lamb broke up and sold out. I was nine years old at that time and was then bound out to John Lawton until twenty-one years of age, when I was to have a horse, saddle and bridle, to be worth sixty-six dollars, two suits of clothes and a certain amount of schooling.


In October, 1815 we moved to North Collins, then a part of the town of Concord and Niagara county. The country then was very new and my chances for schooling were very small. Mr. Lawton had been out to this county in 1813 and purchased : two hundred acres of land, then returned and married a worthy woman by the name of Eunice Kimball, and when they moved here in 1815, they had one child. About 1817 they moved on to a place on the North Clear Creek where there was a mill- seat and where he built a saw-mill and a grist-mill. The year he built his mill was a very wet season and he was put to great expense and everything went wrong. I had to work very hard, but I was well fed and well clothed.


I had as good a mis- tress as ever was and my master used me well when not excited' I was advised to leave him, but I lived in hopes of better times, and in a few years it was better, and I have the consolation of thinking that I attended strictly to his business as far as cir- cumstances would allow. When the mills were finished he sawed and ground for the whole country far and near. He was a thorough-going man and kept the mills going night and day


741


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


when there was sufficient water. Had a great run of custom. He sawed for money when he could get it, and he sawed for work, and he sawed on shares. After many years the country was cleared up, the water failed and the mills went down.


Mr. Lawton held most of the different town offices in town. He was the first Supervisor of Collins when that town was organized in 1821. But the office he liked the best was High- way Commissioner. He did a great deal for the town in that capacity-got what money the town would allow him, cut out the underbrush, girdled the large timber, and through swamps made causeways, as they were called in those days ; now they are called corduroy. This work was generally let to the lowest bidder, and I have known the corduroy to be built for a shilling a rod. People were poor and would take the jobs to get a little money to pay their taxes.


One day a man came to the mill and said there was a bear's track across the road. I soon raised five or six men and started ; the track bore southwesterly towards the South Clear Creek ; in about two miles we came to a large basswood-the track circled around and went up the tree, where a large prong was broken off there was a hole. We went to work and cut the tree almost down. I had no gun and was selected to fell the tree. The men pecked their flints, saw that their priming was all right, and placed themselves so that they would not shoot each other, and said all ready-and down went the tree with a crash. Up jumps a bear, half bewildered, took a few rounds, came partly towards one of the men who stood posted with gun in hand, and he cries out at the top of his voice, "Shoot ! Shoot ! Shoot !" The bear took another turn, took her back track and left. Not a man fired a gun. All rushed for the top of the tree and there found one bear stunned and another fast under a shell of a tree. One says "Why didn't you shoot !" another says, " Why didn't you shoot ?" "Oh, I was afraid of shooting the dog," but that dog had not molested the bear at all. I went home with my axe on my shoulder, and the men with their guns in their hands and dragging the two bears.


The people here were greatly annoyed by an old she-wolf ; she haunted us by night and by day, killing the sheep and


742


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


carrying off the lambs. She avoided all the hunters and trappers for a long time ; some dogs she mated with, others she whipped severely. One day a neighbor, passing through the woods, saw her with a rabbit in her mouth and concluded that she had young ones. The next day we rallied out, fourteen of us, and strung out in a line in hearing of each other, and started forth ; after a while orders were given to halt, and presently the word rung through the line-" We have found the young ones!" Just at that time a man on the farther end of the line saw the old wolf and drew up his gun; she heard the clamor on the line and wheeled and fled. We took out the young ones, seven in number, and then set spring-guns about the log for two weeks, but none of them were discharged. At that time there was a bounty of thirty dollars a head for young wolves. John Lawton took the scalps to Springville and the Supervisor raised two hundred and ten dollars for us. I received fifteen dollars for my share.


One dark, lowery morning, between daylight and sunrise, I was going through the woods with the dog, looking after cow's that had lain out over night. I saw the dog was uneasy, but thought no harm of it. All at once the dog gave a yelp and darted between my legs; I looked around and there was the old wolf within ten feet of me. I threw a club and started to run ; she soon came in ahead of me three times before I got to the clearing. That was the first time and the last time that I ever was scared that I remember of. At the time I thought she meant me, but since, I have thought perhaps she meant the dog more than me, but I was scared just the same.


Now I was one and twenty. I got up in the morning and breathed the free air and invoked the Higher Powers to help me to be a man. My mistress often gave me good counsel- she sowed good seed in my bosom, which I believe has brought forth more or less good fruit ever since. I settled up with my master in good friendship and remained so through his life. I did not want the horse so he gave me a yoke of steers and a yearling heifer and some money that he had paid on a piece of land that I had taken of the Holland Company.


743


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


FAMILY RECORD.


Isaac Hale, born Oct. 16, 1803 ; married in North Collins, (then Collins), Sept. 4, 1827 ; died March 29, 1882. His wife, Phœbe Pratt, born in Ontario county, Aug. 21, 1807; died March 26, 1872. Elizabeth, born July 21, 1828; married E. W. Stancliff in 1848. Alexander, born Jan. 22, 1883 ; married N. Kimball in 1856. David P., born Oct. 24, 1836; married Mercia Potter in 1858. Eunice L., born June 26, 1844 ; married Evans Potter in 1866.


Statement of Noah Conger.


My father's name was David Conger : my mother's name was Rachael Wilber; I was born in Danby, Rutland county, Vt,, in 1802. Our family consisted of father, mother and eight children ; came from Vermont to North Collins, (then Con- cord), in the Spring of 1817. We brought a span of horses, a yoke of oxen and two cows; came through in twenty-one days. Brought our provisions and cooked our own victuals and slept in our own beds made upon the floor ; we stopped on the Mohawk river, got the use of a big Dutch oven and baked a bushel and a half of flour into bread which lasted us to near Batavia. There we bought a bushel of wheat (all the miller had), got it ground and made it into bread. We had a barrel of pork, and the pork and bread and the milk of the two cows furnished us our living. When we arrived in North Collins we purchased of Henry Tucker one hundred acres, six acres im- proved. The log-house which we first occupied had no win- dows and but one door. We brought no furniture with us and father set about making certain articles; his kit of tools con- sisted of an axe and auger. I made a cross-legged table ; the top was split and hewed out of a whitewood tree, made stools for seats; and one-legged bedsteads to sleep on, with elm or basswood bark for bed-cords.


At the time we came to this county there was for a year or two a great scarcity of provisions, and it was with the greatest difficulty that some families managed to live through.


Among our neighbors who endured the greatest privations was one Joseph Woodward, whose family consisted of a wife and three small children. That Spring Woodward went to


744


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


Hamburg and bought some seed-corn, and after planting had a peck left ; he then went to Jacob Taylor's to buy some more corn and all that Taylor would spare him was another peck. They had no meat and all the provisions they did have from that time until their Winter wheat was so far advanced to be eatable was the half bushel of corn. They lived mostly on leeks, ground nuts and other roots that they dug in the woods. and on buds and the bark of birch, basswood and other trees. Mrs. Woodward spent much time in procuring roots, bark, &c., from the woods, without which they would have inevitably starved, as what few neighbors they had were unable to aid them materially, being but little better off themselves. Mr. Woodward was not strong and sometimes became so weak for the want of food as to be unable to work and felt almost like giving up in despair, and it was only through the great energy, courage and perseverance of Mrs. Woodward that the family survived their many hardships. After their wheat began to ripen they fared much better. They cut off the heads and rubbed out the wheat with their hands, even while it was in the milk and scalded with birch-bark and basswood buds and ate it. Mrs. Woodward is still living at a very great age. She resides with her granddaughter, Mrs. Clark Alger, in the Town of Concord.


In 1818 we raised some oats and we threshed them with a flail ard cleaned them with a hand-fan. Iwent and worked two days for Lemuel White for the use of his wagon and father went to Buffalo and took forty bushels of oats and some buck- wheat, etc. He was gone four days, took his own feed with him and slept in his wagon. He could not sell his oats for money, so he traded the forty bushels for a barrel of salt, sold his meal and buckwheat and bought a piece of sole leather for tapping boots and shoes, and half a pound of tea which lasted a long time, for we only used it on special occasions.


At this time, and years before and afterward a large she-wolf infested this part of the town, and did great damage by killing sheep and carrying off lambs. One evening I went over to Mr. Woodward's, about a mile from our house, and on my return through the woods and in the darkness, I suddenly heard the terrible and prolonged howls of the old wolf near by. In-


745


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


stantly my hair was on end, ard my hat elevated. I had no weapon of any kind to defend myself with, and I thought run- ning was the wisest as well as the most natural thing to do. I did not stand on the order of my going but ran at once. I think I made better time that night than I ever did on any other occasion ; I doubt if the professional runners now-a-days could better it. When I got within hailing distance of the house I made an outcry and some of the family came out with a light, and as I scaled the fence into the yard by the house. the old wolf went over at the same time near by me. I went back the next day and looked over the ground. As a race it was about an even thing, and I saw where I jumped over a small ravine, and the distance was twice as far as I could jump under ordinary circumstances.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.