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HISTORY OF MARSHALL
ERNEST BERGLUND JR.
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL by
Ernest Berglund, Jr.
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Copyright, 1948 By Ernest Berglund, Jr.
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Printed and Bound in The United States of America By The Steck Company Austin, Texas
Preface
This book is written for the purpose of giving a history of the political, social, economic, religious, and educational highlights of the City of Marshall, Texas. The aim is to show the part that each has played'in the development of the City of Marshall. There has been an extensive study and much research done on each phase of the his- tory of the City of, Marshall, going back before the city was founded and bringing it up to the present day. Every statement made in this book, with exception of the first and last paragraphs of each chapter, is backed by an authoritative source.
I am indebted to Mrs. Chesly F. Adams, Mr. Fred Arm- strong, Mrs. C. A. Beehn, Miss Margaret Bracher, Miss Emma Mae Brotze, Mr. William Caven, Mr. J. W. Cyphers, Mrs. R. R. Fagan, Mr. N. D. Goldberg, Mr., W. T. Hendry, Mr. Isom P. "Bill" Hydrick, Jr., Mr. Oscar B. Jones, Mr. R. C. Ladymon, Mr. Charles Lake, Mr. Max S. Lale, Mr. Arnold Milner, Mrs. W. A. Nunley, Mrs. Frank Resch, Mr. J. A. Riley, Dr. Arthur B. Rutledge, Mrs. G. C. Sikes, Miss Anna Smith, Mr. Ernest Smith, Mr. J. Wesley Smith, Mr. H. A. Thomason, Mr. Marvin Turney, Mr. R. P. Watson, Jr., Mr. E. L. Wells, Jr., Mrs. Elmer Wheeler, and Mr. Ben Woodall all residents of the City of Marshall, Texas, and to Congressman Wright Patman of Texarkana, Texas, and also to many others who helped in supplying information. I am appreciative and thankful for the help.
I am indebted to the office of the Marshall Chamber of Commerce along with Mr. Oscar B. Jones; and the em- ployees of the Marshall News Messenger and Mr. Mil- lard Cope; the City Secretary, Joe McGilvray, and his office workers; the Marshall Public Library; the East Texas Baptist College Library, and the Extension Loan Library at the University of Texas, Austin, Texas, for the help each of them gave to me in finding information. I am also indebted to the Bishop College Library for the information that was given to me.
I am greatly indebted to Mr. Arthur Tyson, history and government teacher at East Texas Baptist College, and to Mrs. Franklin M. Armstrong, librarian, for the advice, suggestions, and all of the help they gave to me in doing research to write this book. I appreciate and thank them for this invaluable assistance and encouragement.
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I am indebted to Miss Nancy Bratton and Mrs. Dorothy Southerland Estes, both of Marshall, for their suggestions and recommendations, as well as Mrs. Florence Long Wood of East Texas Baptist College for her invaluable assistance.
There is one thing I want to clear up for the people who read this book. In most references and records it is found that the City of Marshall, Texas was founded in 1840. I mention in several, places that the 'City of Marshall was founded in 1842. I do not try to take two years away from the City of Marshall's life. I find in the research that I have done on the City of Marshall's history that it was laid off in boundaries, the land given for the site of city, and the city was named in 1842. I do not believe a city is truly'a city until it is laid out and officially named. All of this brings me to the conclusion that the City of Marshall was founded in 1842. There were fifty settlers living here in 1840 before it was laid in 1842.
I hope this book satisfies each and every person who reads it. I have tried to write a book on the City of Mar- shall 'that would accurately record outstanding events in the history of this, old East Texas-town.
E. B. Jr.
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To My Daddy and Mother Ernest and Helen Berglund
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Table of Contents
Chapter I
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The Founding of Marshall
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Chapter II
History from 1842 to the Civil War 5
Chapter III
Marshall and the Civil War
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Chapter IV
History Since the Civil War
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Chapter V
Educational Development of Marshall
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Chapter VI
The Economic and Industrial Development of Marshall. 53
Chapter VII
The Religious Development of Marshall
73
Chapter VIII
Marshallites Who Have Gained Fame Elsewhere
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Chapter IX
Organizations in Marshall
101
Chapter X
Miscellaneous Facts About Marshall
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Bibliography
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List of Illustrations
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Chart on Churches
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Diagram Showing Marshall in Area
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Diagram Showing the Growth of the City of
Marshall in population
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Chapter I The Founding of Marshall
The present site of Marshall, Texas was once a den'se forest inhabited by friendly Caddo Indians.
In the summer of 1542, after the death of DeSoto, Luis de Moscoso led the Spaniards in an attempt to go to Mexico by land from Arkansas. They came to the Red River and the town of Texarkana where they were delayed by floods. Hearing of the Caddo villages, they went south. After their visit on Caddo Lake, they con- tinued southwestward until they reached another large river, probably the Brazos. In their journey toward the southwest they must have passed over the land that is today the town of Marshall, for Marshall is situated al- most directly southwest from the assumed location of these villages.1
It is known that about three hundred Spanish troops passed through this section in 1679 on their way northward to block French troops. They could not find any way to get across Caddo Lake. The lake was much larger then than it is now. They settled for a time on the shores of Caddo Lake, founding the town of Port Caddo, which eventually died because of its extreme location inland.2
White settlers are thought to have come in the early, 1830's. John Beaty and his wife were sheltered by a man named Amaryllis until Beaty built his own' log cabin nearby. Their homes on Fern Lake were supposedly the first permanent white settlements north of the Sabine River. In this same log cabin Sara Amaryllis Beaty was born, the first white child in Harrison County. More residents came and more births occurred - one pertinent to this history, a community was born of their "combined efforts.3
In 1839 Harrison County was created out of Shelby County. It was organized in 1842. George B. Adkins called an election and the county seat selected was Greens- borough, twelve miles south of Marshall on the Sabine River. In- 1841 by an act of Congress of the Republic of Texas the northern part of Harrison County was made into a judicial county called Panola County. This was pro- nounced unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the
1Bolton, Herbert E., The Spanish Borderlands, pp. 46-79.
2Marshall News Messenger, August 23, 1936.
$The Marshall Chamber of Commerce of Marshall, Texas. Pamphlet.
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL
Republic of Texas and Panola County became part of Harrison County again. Later in 1841 the southern part of Harrison County was legally made into a county called Panola County. The county seat was changed from Greens- borough to Pulaski which was situated twenty-three miles southeast of Marshall on the east bank of the Sabine River. In 1842 an election was called to select a town for seat of justice. 4 This was done because the places of Greens- borough and Pulaski had been found to' be unsanitary.
In 1842 a commission was created for the purpose of . investigating the whole county. The commission was com- posed of Peter Whetstone, John Clifton, Dayid Hill, James Williams, and Seaborn Robinson.5 The commissioners were appointed by the Republic of Texas.6 .They met where the court-house now stands. Peter Whetstone had been given a grant of land which was a square of 4,444 acres. He asked them what they thought of his land and the answer was that it was very good but too dry.7 Whet- stone took them down to the corner of Franklin and West Houston Streets where there was a spring. They drank water from the spring. This was under a large oak tree.8 Whetstone pushed his arm into the side of the old oak tree and pulled out a large jug which was full of whiskey. After three or four times around, it was completely empty. The commissioners took back what was said about his land being' dry.9 They said that they could not see why a tract of land which had such good water and whiskey could not be the seat of justice.10 The credit is given to Isaac Van Zandt for suggesting the name, Marshall, after the great Chief Justice John Marshall:11" Whetstone do- nated alternate lots to the court, and for his gift and his enthusiasm he is accredited with making Marshall the seat of justice for Harrison County.
The City of Marshall was laid off after the pattern of Rome, being located on seven hills. The east boundary of the City of Marshall was what is called Railroad Avenue. It runs from East Grand to the Border Street. What is now Grand Avenue was the north boundary. It
"Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present. 5Marshall News Messenger, August 23, 1936.
6Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present.
7Marshall News Messenger, August 23, 1936.
8Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present. 9Marshall News Messenger, August 23, 1936.
10Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present. 11Armstrong, J. C., History of Harrison County, Texas, (1839-1880).
THE FOUNDING OF MARSHALL
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runs from Railroad Avenue to Grove Street. Each block was divided into eight lots of sixty feet by one hundred and twenty feet. The streets were to be one hundred and eighty feet wide.
There is an interesting story of why Grove Street is so narrow. A man bought a lot from Peter Whetstone in order to construct a house on it. Not knowing where the west boundary of the city was, he started building his house. Peter Whetstone was told of a man constructing a house in the middle of the street, and this made Peter Whetstone furious. He went to the man and the man ex- plained the situation to him. Whetstone told him to construct his house, and if anyone hurt him to come to Whetstone and he would help him. That is the reason for the narrowness of Grove Street in front of the Episcopal Church.12
This is the account of the founding, naming, and early building of Marshall.
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12Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present.
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Chapter II
History from 1842 to The Civil War
The City of Marshall, being founded in 1842, is older than the 'State of Texas. Because of its proximity to the United States and because of its early growth, it became one of the most important Texan cities in the period pre- ceding the Civil War. When it was four years old, the town saw the death of the Republic and the birth of the State of Texas.
Pioneers streamed across the border, and many of them stopped in the precocious little town. As the population grew, so did the need for commercial enterprise. The first such venture, a dry goods store,1 was owned and managed by Mr. Edmund Key and was located where' the post office now stands.2 A second such store was opened by Mr. G. Gregg on the present site of the Red and. White Market.
The only furniture store before the Civil War was owned by Mr. Long.8
Mr. Charles Deckert started a shoe shop in 1845 at the corner of West Houston and South Wellington Streets. Mr. George Satter came to Marshall in 1852 and started working for Mr. 'Deckert. Mr. Satter bought the business in 1865 when Mr. Deckert moved to Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Satter constructed a new building in 1882. which still stands today. Two years after his death the building was sold to Mr. Joe, Black. In June 1947, Mr. Black moved from the building that had housed a shoe shop for more than one hundred years. 4
The first, candy shop was owned by the Dopplemeyer brothers.5 Mr. Longinetti operated one of the first saloons in Marshall.6 The first undertaking shop was owned by George Rains. There were no grocery stores before the Civil War, and all of the groceries were shipped from New Orleans, Louisiana. 7
The newspapers have contributed much to the develop- ment of the city. The first newspaper, the Texas Republi-
1Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present. 2Armstrong, J. C., History of Harrison County, Texas, (1839-1880). 3Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present. 4Mrs. Frank Resch. 5Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present. 6Mrs. Frank Resch. 7Sketches Drawn From Marshall and Vicinity, Past and Present.
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL
can, began publication in 1849. Others in this period were the Star State Patriot and the Harrison County Flag.8
With the signing of a charter in 1842, Sam Houston authorized Marshall University to prescribe courses, re- ceive donations, and confer degrees. In the following year citizens established the Marshall Female Institute.9
Soon after the city was incorporated in 1844,10 churches were organized. The First Methodist Church began with a full-time program in February 1845 under the pastorates of S. A. Williams and F. M. Stovall.11 In May of the same year Dr. John Brice assumed leadership of the First Bap- tist Church.12 The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was first organized in April 1848, while the First Presbyterian Church was not organized until May of 1850.13
The peaceful expansion was not to last long. It was an adventurous, fighting age- an age when men sold their lives for a prejudice or a thrill.
General Herra of Spain in 1806 ran into Harrison Coun- ty and crossed the Sabine River into Shelby County. He was met by General Wilkinson of the United States Army and after consultation Herra withdrew his troops. By agreement a neutral ground was established between the Sabine River and the Arroyo Hondo which was to be oc- cupied by neither country. This territory became the place of crime and warfare. The eastern part of Harri- son County, including the City of Marshall, was located in the territory called the neutral ground.
The United States and the Republic of Texas soon be- came involved in an argument concerning the location of boundaries. The agreement was finally reached placing Harrison County completely in Texas.14 The main part of the neutral ground was a twenty mile strip on the east side of the Sabine River. It affected the counties of Shelby, Pañola, Harrison, as well as others.15
In this territory Charles W. Jackson organized a band of men called Regulators who did not believe in Govern- ment and mapped out plans to overthrow the Government
8Armstrong, J. C., History of Harrison County, Texas, (1839-1880). 9Marshall News Messenger, August 23, 1936.
10 Armstrong, J. C., History of Harrison County, Texas, (1839-1880). 11First Methodist Church, Marshall, Texas, 1845-1945.
12A Brief History of the First Baptist Church of Marshall, Texas, 1845-1928.
13 Marshall News Messenger, August 23, 1936.
14Armstrong, J. C., History of Harrison County, Texas, (1839-1880). 15Crocket, George L., Two Centuries in East Texas, pp. 194-203.
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HISTORY FROM 1842 TO THE CIVIL WAR
of the Republic of Texas. At about the same time Edward Merchant organized a band of men, called Moderators who believed in Government for the people. It was these two bands that waged warfare during the years from 1841 to 1844.
During the early days of the battle between the Modera- ators and Regulators, Charles W. Jackson, a Regulator fugitive, was arrested at Shreveport, where he had taken refuge from. a pursuing band of officers. He managed to escape, however, making his way unharmed to Shelby County. Several in the band of officers were killed.
Later, the one-time head of the Regulators was defeated as a candidate for Congress. Angered by this, he claimed the defeat came from counterfeiters and wrote a letter of protest to Austin giving the state of affairs. Charles Jackson received a letter from Shelby County Land Com- missioner Joseph Goodbread who told him that if he did not stop meddling in public affairs he would be shot.
Charles W. Jackson, infuriated, presented the letter to the author on the court-house steps in Shelbyville. A few moments after giving him the letter, Charles Jackson shot and killed Joseph Goodbread.
Charles W. Jackson was caught and brought to Harri- son County for the trial. Judge Hansford, who was the judge, made a statement that the man should be brought to justice, but in the end the judge's purpose was defeated. Judge Hansford never did hold the trial because there were Regulators on the jury and he left the city. After he left the city Charles W. Jackson had to be acquitted.
After Jackson was acquitted, he was shot and killed by the McFaddens and Stricklands, members of the Modera- ators.
Charles W. Moorman was chosen as the leader of the Regulator band after Charles W. Jackson was killed. The two murders Joseph Goodbread and Charles W. Jackson ushered in the Moderator-Regulator War in East Texas. 16
After Charles W. Moorman was elected the leader of the Regulator band, he enlisted many people in his cause and established his headquarters at Shelbyville after taking the town. While the place was held by the Regulator band, no Moderator was allowed to go into or through Shelbyville.
It was not long after this, however, until both the Moderators and the Regulators, for a while, fell into dis- organization. The courts were powerless at the time. It
16 Marshall News Messenger, August 23, 1936.
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was at this time that Charles Moorman attempted to over- throw the Government and make himself dictator.
The Regulators intended to exile twenty-five or thirty citizens of Shelbyville, but while the Regulators were away Colonel Cravens and a band of sixty-five Moderators went and captured the town of Shelbyville.
It was then that the Regulators sent to Harrison County for reinforcements and received two companies of men under William Boulware and Davidson. With two com- panies added to the force, the Regulators totaled one hun- dred and fifty men. Colonel Cravens, who was the leader of the Moderators, sent companies from Shelby and San Augustine Counties, until the total reached one hundred and sixty-five men. War appeared imminent, and most of the citizens expected it to break out any minute.
At one time seventy-five Moderators went into the town of San Augustine and out on Ayish Bayou, where they en- camped and were fed by the citizens of the community.
It is said that farmers left their fields and let them grow into weeds. They barred the doors of their houses and would not let anyone in unless it were a familiar voice. Everywhere there was a fear of being shot and killed. Most of the honest and truthful men who fought in the Regulator-Moderator War were taken into it by petty desperadoes, thieves, and cutthroats.
One famous murder occurred during this time at San Augustine when Captain John M. Bradley, a Moderator, was shot and killed by Charles W. Moorman, the leader of the Regulators in 1844. John M. Bradley was accused of bringing in enemies and the Regulators tried to kill him, but were unsuccessful as his house was fortified.
But the Regulators were not discouraged by failure. There was an interesting revival meeting being held in San Augustine by a Baptist minister; John Bradley, who planned to attend, was warned that Charles Moorman in- tended to shoot him on sight. John Bradley said he did not think it would be done at a church meeting, and went to the meeting. He was told of Charles Moorman's pres- ence. Bradley left the meeting to find a double-barrel shotgun, which he left at a friend's house across from the church. He returned to the meeting which was over a few minutes later.
As the meeting ended John M. Bradley walked out of the building onto the edge of the gallery by a post. Moor- man and his Regulators were waiting. Someone called
HISTORY FROM 1842 TO THE CIVIL WAR
for a lantern or light to be flashed up to the gallery. When it was flashed, Charles W. Moorman raised the gun that he had in his hand and shot John M. Bradley in the chest, killing him instantly.
Moorman jumped to the ground and walked toward his men down the street. A constable pursued him until both of them reached Moorman's friends, and the con- stable saw several guns pointing toward him. He told the mẹn that he was one of the leader's friends and walked ąway. .
After this killing the two sides started preparing for a decisive struggle. Colonel Cravens of the Moderators and Charles W. Moorman of the Regulators both removed their bands from Shelbyville and went into the open field for a big battle.
Moorman's Regulators went three miles south of Shel- byville and fortified a camp where they were attacked by the Moderators, although unsuccessfully. The Regulators then moved to Hilliard's Springs, near Flat Fort Creek, and were joined there by the two Harrison County com- panies. The Moderators again attacked and the skirmish grew into a considerable battle in which Davidson, captain of one of the Harrison County companies, was killed. The Regulators then returned to the first camp one mile away.
A bloody war seemed to be in prospect. Sam Houston happened to be in San Augustine at the time and heard of the unsettled conditions and of the anarchy in Shelby and adjoining counties. He wrote a proclamation on August 15, 1844, and it was issued over Shelby County and others. Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas, called 'a militia from San Augustine, Sabine, Nacogdoches, and Rusk counties, numbering six hundred men under the command of General Travis G. Broocks of San Augustine. Marshal of the Republic of Texas, Colonel Alexander Hor- ton, was asked to get ten leading men of each party and. bring them forward before President Houston.
The troops under General Broocks pushed forward toward the Moderators and Regulator's battle ground. When the proclamation was received by Colonel Cravens, the attack that had been planned was postponed. General Broocks and his men approached the Moderators and en- camped.
Marshal Horton captured the Moderator leaders - some of them were Colonel Cravens, Sheriff Llewellyn, Judge Hicks, Dial Haley, and others. Later on when Gen- eral Broocks went into Shelbyville, Regulator leaders
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M. T. Johnson, Matthew Brinson, Daggett, and Turner sur- rendered to Marshal Horton. All of them including the prisoners were sent to San Augustine to President Houston.
The Regulators, hearing of General Broocks' army, broke up their fortifications. William Boulware and the Harrison. County men left and went back home. Many other men left Charles 'W. Moorman and his band soon numbered but thirty men.
All of the work in forcing the Moderators and Regula- tors to cease hostilities had been done only by General Broocks and the San Augustine men. While General Broocks remained at the Regulator's camp, the militia, of Rusk, Sabine, and Nacogdoches Counties joined him. Charles W. Moorman and his men returned to the first camp at Hilliard's Springs.
General Broock's and Marshal Horton were now seriously engaged in capturing and arresting Charles W. Moorman. A·guard was placed to watch every family known to have been friendly to Moorman to prevent information from reaching Moorman that the two leaders - Horton and Gen- eral Broocks - were after him.
The advance guard, ahead of General Broocks and the others, suddenly came upon Moorman in a liquor shop at a crossroads. This was located one mile from the encamp- ment of the Regulators. Colonel Horton and Judge W. G. Anderson were two of the six men that composed the ad- vance guard and fell in and arrested the Regulator leader. He thought they might be some of his friends and allowed them to come near him. His friends escaped, however.
After this General Broocks marched his men back to Shelbyville. There in Shelbyville nearly every citizen in the county, and many prominent citizens of the East Texas area, came to the District Court room to hear the cases.
The man chosen to be judge was Judge W. B. Ochiltree. President Houston, himself, came to speak at the trial. The company of Captain Mabbett was there to suppress all riots and disturbances that occurred. The only dis- turbance that occurred, however, was that a man by the name of Luton tried to shoot an Alfred Truitt and missed him. Truitt shot back and hit Luton in the shoulder. Cap- tain Mabbett and the company surrounded and arrested them, and thus ended the brief episode that broke the gen- eral quietness.
At the end of the session a committee was appointed to make a plan for peace. The committee was composed
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HISTORY FROM 1842 TO THE CIVIL WAR
of Judge W. B. Ochiltree, president of court, Amos Clark of Nacogdoches ; B. C. Banks and W. H. Landrum of Sabine County, and Hon. Isaac Van Zandt of Harrison County. The plan for peace was composed of a set of resolutions which David S. Kaufman drew up. The representatives of the Moderator group who signed it were James Truitt and John Dial; the representatives of the Regulator group who signed it were M. T. Johnson and John J. McNairy.
These petitions were circulated among the people of the county with many people signing even though they were not in it. The people forgot about the feud and again peace descended over the East Texas area .. Nor was the Moderator-Regulator episode recalled when the Ameri- can-Mexican War came on in 1848. There were two com- panies sent from Shelby County, one made of volunteers who had been Moderators under Captain James Truitt, and the other company composed of former Regulators under Captain M. T. Johnson. They fought side by side all through the war and were in the Battle of Monterey. After the war there was a dinner held in honor of the men who had fought. All of the people of the county were, invited to the dinner. The then Governor of Texas, General J. P. Henderson; Colonel George W. Wood, and, many other prominent people were present and made speeches. Friendship and comradeship now seemed to blot out the ugly incidents of the Regulator-Moderator War.
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